The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Meindert Tempelaars
(Meijnardus Jacobus)

Oorlogsgravenstichting

Meindert Tempelaars was a hewer in the state mine Oranje-Nassau III. Arrested in connection with the miners’ strike on the night of May 1 to 2, 1943. He and Renier Savelsberg and Servaas Toussaint were sentenced to death by the Polizeistandgericht (court-martial of the police) in Maastricht and executed by a firing squad of the order police on the heath Hamertse Hei near Wellerlooi
Read more in De Limburgse mijnen en mijnwerkers tijdens de bezetting 1940-1944 [2] (The Limburg coal mines and miners during the occupation 1940-1944) including the April-May strike.
Initially the circumstances and location of their executions were not known, it was assumed to be in Maastricht. [3]
On July 1, 1946, a grave with seven bodies was discovered in Wellerlooi (municipality of Bergen) on the heath Wellse Heide (now the nature reserve Landgoed de Hamert). One of these was that of Meindert. He was reburied with Renier Savelsberg on July 5, 1946, at the Heerlerheide Municipal Cemetery, grave R.K.101 [4].
The history behind the verzetsmonument (resistance monument) in Wellerlooi provides more details. [5]
Also in Heerlerheide (Heerlen municipality) is the Miner’s Monument, erected in memory of Meindert Tempelaars and Reinier Savelsberg, both personnel of the Oranje Nassau Mine III. [6]
See also the periodical Steenkool, 1946 no 8 [8]
Meijnardus Jacobus ( Meindert ) Tempelaars is listed in the Erelijst 1940-1945 (Honor Roll of the Dutch Parliament). [7]

Footnotes

1. Dr. F. Cammaert, Het Verborgen Front – Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Doctorale scriptie 1994, Groningen
   6. De Landelijke Organisatie voor hulp aan onderduikers • II.2.3. Duitse maatregelen en de April-Meistaking, pp.487 ff.
2. Serge Langeweg De Limburgse mijnen en mijnwerkers tijdens de bezetting 1940-1944
3. Archief Oorlogsgravenstichting (@ Nationaal archief),
   Dossier Meindert Tempelaars #4
4. oorlogsgravenstichting.nl ††† Heerlerheide, Heerlen
5. verzetsmonument Wellerlooi
6. Mijnwerkersmonument Heerlerheide Kampstraat, 6413 EA, Heerlerheide (Heerlen)
7. Erelijst 1940-1945
8. Oorlogsgravenstichting.nl
9. https://www.demijnen.nl/actueel/artikel/als-de-mijnwerkers-staken-tegen-de-duitse-bezetter