Free and Fearless: The Story of the First Parool Trial

Republic of Amsterdam Radio•www.republicofamsterdamradio.com

On 5 February, 1943, thirteen men were executed in the Netherlands for their roles in printing, producing and distributing the illegal anti-Nazi newspaper Het Parool. Two hours before they were executed these men were allowed to write final letters to their family. 75 years later, we were lucky enough to be given access to some of these letters. What emerged as we dug deeper into their stories was "Free and Fearless", a three part series which follows their journeys, commemorating those whose actions helped allow us to live in a free and open society today.

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Episodes

Episode 3: Execution and Escape

On 5 February, 1943, thirteen of the twenty-three defendants from the First Parool Trial were given paper and pens and told to write farewell letters to their families. Hours later, they were executed by firing squad. But the ringleader of the group, Frans Goedhart, was able to win a temporary reprieve and over the next few months undertook various attempts to escape from Vught concentration camp. But would luck be on his side? Show notes: https://www.republicofamsterdamradio.com/episodes/free-a...

Jul 16, 2019•55 min

Episode 2: The Process

After the botched arrest of Arie Addicks in September 1941, the Addicks group was firmly in the sights of the authorities. Over the course of four months, a series of arrests would take place across the Netherlands, from the streets of Amsterdam to a freezing beach in Scheveningen, which would end with twenty-three people being charged with crimes against the state. But would these freedom fighters survive some of the Netherlands’ most infamous concentration camps? Show notes: https://www.republ...

Jul 16, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 2

Episode 1: The Addicks Group

After the invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, a group of men from a disbanded socialist youth group called the AJC, came together to fight back against the new Nazi regime. The young members of the so-called “Addicks Group” joined forces with journalist and activist Frans Goedhart and became active in creating and distributing the illegal anti-Nazi newspaper Het Parool. But their activities would soon put themselves and their loved ones in mortal peril. Show notes: https://www.republicofams...

Jul 16, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 1

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