PLEYEL,PARIS, CIRCA 1930

Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983)was brought up in a devoutly Christian family. During the second world war their house served as a hiding place for numerous fugitives, mainly Jews, students who refused to cooperate with the Nazis and members of the Dutch resistance. throughout the war the ten Boom family was able to save hundreds of peoples lives, and Corrie played an important part in this important work. In 1944 the family was betrayed and were to spend the remainder of the war in various prisons and camps. Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp, Corrie was the only one to survive the war. It was Betsie's dream to found a revalidation house for those people who were in spiritual need after the war.
Corrie was able to realise her sisters dream after the war with the kind help of Mrs. Bierens de Haan, who kindly gave her house to this cause shortly after the war.