Pekelharing, Karel August “Karel”, born, 06-04-1909 in Hoorn, Netherlands, 
to Egidius Gerardus Pekelharing and Elisabeth Johanna, born, van den Heuvel. Karel lived in Amsterdam and was a religious Roman Catholic. His mother Elisabeth passed away in 1916, when she was 39 years old and his father left the 8 children alone.
Karel was a professional ballet dancer with the Netherlands Ballet. By 1939, he was already known as a communist to the Dutch Central Intelligence Service. 
The Central Intelligence Service (CI) was the first Dutch civilian security service, established in January 1919 and disbanded following the German invasion in May 1940. This service should not be confused with the Central Intelligence Service (CID), which served as the intelligence and security service of the Dutch government-in-exile from July 1940 to November 1942.
Karel Pekelharing was a member of the Artists Resistance. The best known person from this group is the sculptor Gerrit van der Veen. 
Together Willem Johan Cornelis Arondéus
he led the attack on the so called Identity Cards Registry IPBC). 
Other members of the artists resistance and also gay, were Frieda Belinfante 
dressed up as a man she participated in the resistance and escaped the Gestapo and resistance man Sjoerd Bakker
Karel was dancing with the Nederlandsche Ballet; he was a choreographer as well. In 1939 Karels name is in the list of ‘left wing extremists’ which was kept up to date by the Central Intelligence Service (CID). There he is described as ‘actor, communist and anti-mil.’ At that time he lived in Utrecht and was the leader of a ‘communist theatre group’. Because he was a well known anti-fascist and communist he went into hiding for a while in Kassel, Germany. Late 1942 her returned and lived underground in The Hague and Amsterdam. In the attack on the prison at the Weteringschans, 
which was conducted on New Year’s Eve 1943-1944, the group worked together with the group of Johannes Lambertus ” Little Jan” Bonekamp 
and Jan “Witte Ko” “White Ko” Brasser 
(Council of Resistance, RVV). In a report of the failed attack Karel Pekelharing is mentioned twice.
Death and burial ground of Pekelharing, Karel August “Karel”.
Just as in the attack on the Amsterdam Population Registry, 
police uniforms were used. Before a second attempt could be made Karel was arrested in the Amsterdam American Hotel (6 April). Hundred metres from there, precisely in the Weteringschans prison, Pekelharing was locked up. That night there were more people present from the artists resistance, including sculptor Johan Limpers 
and Karel Mattheus Schippers, age25, 
On 10-06-1944, age 35, Karel was executed in the dunes of Bloemendaal. His grave is located at the Honorary Cemetery ‘Bloemendaal’ in Overveen.
In 2021, a Stolperstein (Stumbling Stone) 
was laid in his honor at the house where Karel was in hiding on Rombout Hogerbeetstraat in Amsterdam. 
The initiative for this was taken by COC Netherlands and historian Judith Schuyf.
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