Two Lives

This is a story of two lives based on historical research and facts. This is the eventful lives of Mijndert van der Horst (Miek) and Francisca Siffels. Miek fought in Spain as a member of the International Brigades against Franco. His combat experience came in the resistance with good stead: he committed attacks with Jan Bone Camp, Hanny Schaft, Jan Brasser and Gerrit Jan van der Veen, including the infamous raid on the Weteringschans prison. Because her husband had committed adultery with her sister, Francisca Siffels, she reported her husband to the headquarters of the SD in the Euterpestraat Amsterdam. The betrayal was not confined to Miek; all known Zaanse communists were named at the SD. Several of them were arrested and executed. Ton van der Horst (1954) is a curator of ship models at the National Maritime Museum. He has several books to his name, mostly on maritime historical subjects. Because of his personal involvement in the subject of the two lives-his grandfather was the brother of Miek, who was a Van der Horst-this story had to be written.