Ode to Alida Bosshardt | The Major sits ready to wrap her arm around your shoulder

Introductory text by Gemma Crijns: Riny Reiken ran the In de Olofspoort tasting room for gins and liqueurs from 1988 to 2019. In the same building she started a chocolate shop in the year 1983, selling handmade chocolates. Major Bosshardt often visited there in the Olofspoort and made cabs honk until she finished her cup of tea. The Salvation Army even played music in front of Riny's tasting room. Olofspoort was at the end of Warmoe Street, a no-go area because of drug dealing and on the border of the hot neighborhood. This was also pre-eminently the working area of Major Bosshardt, who regularly popped into Riny's Tasting Room for a cup of tea. This led to a friendship of two believing women who were allowed to mean a lot especially outside the church walls for people at the bottom of society and other people in need.

Riny Reiken: My hospitality work time of more than 35 years in downtown Amsterdam remains unforgettable. Of course I realize that from tasting room In de Olofspoort I was only allowed to be a very small link in the relief effort. I always brought people in need to the right shelter, for sure, but was quite embarrassed by the above words during the Symposium in Hoofddorp on September 16, 2023 for Church in Need. There I got to speak about my memories of Major Bosshardt, who with many others took up and accomplished her missionary work as a life task. As I wrote, my story became more elaborate, and I realized more than ever:

Connected to the Mission I certainly do feel.

Respect for anyone is one of the positive values I love to share with the Major as well as the Sisters. Helpless and lonely people came my way, yet I am only in the shadow of people who have given their lives to God and the Mission.

I myself was always grateful when the Salvation Army came to my neighborhood when I was ill. The Salvation soldiers never bothered with rain or wind. As they stood playing their shiny instruments, across the street on the sidewalk, I would often see tears rolling down the cheeks of stalwarts at my bar. Then I would quickly walk to the monumental door of my tasting room and open it wide. People showed respect. Hardly anyone dared to talk through it. I loved to sing along at the top of my lungs with the well-known “U zij de Glorie” (You be the Glory) and was therefore asked to sing at the Goodwill center on the birthday of Aunt Jans, a salvation soldier. The Major called me the next day asking if I wanted to sing more. As a result, we regularly went out together to see my singing teacher, the legendary alto Aafje Heynis. The ladies became close friends.

With Heart and Soul

In 2000, I received an early morning phone call from Major. She told me about her autobiography and that she was making preparations for the presentation of her book "With Heart & Soul. Suddenly she asked in a sober tone, "Can it be with you? I will never forget that sober question, of course I felt honored and it would really be an unforgettable day in my tasting room in the heart of Mokum. I poured more coffee and tea than ever. The Major was assisted by her good friend Professor Dr. Bob Smalhout. The Major's right-hand men, Hennie & Koos Tinga, were also in attendance, as were many friends and salvation soldiers.

Life Story

In 'With Heart and Soul', Major tells what it means to her to grow older, and talks about feelings from her personal life, such as being in love. She shares views on marriage and homosexuality. She also gives her opinions about the mentality of society (about past and present) the pros and cons of money, about deep suffering caused by wars, and delves into grieving after a death. She speaks candidly about what love & faith means to her.

Alida Margaretha Bosshardt was born on June 8, 1913 at Nachtegaalstraat 44 in Utrecht. She later had a little brother, Jan. Their parents were Wilhelmina Dieuwertje Teeling and Lambertus Bosshardt of Reformed and Catholic background. In the year 1948, Alida was transferred to Amsterdam, where every Friday night they went into the “red light district” the dark neighborhood of Amsterdam with some employees. There they sell Strijdkreten and visit prostitutes and families with problems.

Soon she receives official orders to start “Goodwill work” in the inner city. She starts there with one hundred guilders, a Salvation Army flag and the blessing. In thirty years, she builds the work into a Goodwill center of stature: buildings, offices and shelters.

In 1959 she acquires the title Lieutenant - Colonel of the Salvation Army. Alida Bosshardt gains national fame through a unique guest appearance on Bert Garthoff's program Anders dan anderen. In 1965, when she walks along cafes and the Amsterdam Red Light District with our then Queen Beatrix, the disguise is discovered by De Telegraaf. Peter Zonneveld's photos go around the world.

Years later, in 1996, in a program of Villa Felderhof, the Major sports her swimsuit. Decisively she washes the back of the singer/artist Herman Brood. Opinions were divided, but the Major herself remained rather level-headed. She told me: 'I don't know what they are worried about, I have washed so many backs, and also bottoms that stuck to the stool. Herman is a very sociable boy and quite nice. Every child of God is valuable. The Major made no distinction.

Anecdote about the man in the water

The Major always left from my Tasting Room in her little car to her home in the Red Light District. She also showed understanding for paid love. It is midnight when Major, who lives on the Red Light District, hears screams. The sound seems to come from the canal. It appears to be a man in a panic. The Major quickly puts on her clothes and runs downstairs. Once fished out of the water, she immediately asks how he got there. It soon became clear to her, that after a visit to the Red Light District, he had not paid a prostitute, after her services. After this confession, the man was given dry clothes and a warm bed after all. Under the condition that he would come back to the Major later to settle the bill. She would then settle it with the lady in question. And so it happened....

The War

I take you back to 1940, the year the German occupation began. Alida was working as an officer in the orphanage on the Rapenburg. Across the street was also the Jewish girls' orphanage, which had already been emptied at the beginning of the occupation. Many parents therefore brought their children to De Zonnehoek, where the Major worked. In 1941, uniforms were banned, money and buildings confiscated. The army continued as usual.

All children's homes became private homes. The army refused to become a part of Winter Aid, which was an organization of the occupying forces. Major and her colleagues were ordered by “the army” itself, which cooperated with the resistance, to house about 70 Jewish children elsewhere in secret places.

They left for the Gooi with the little ones by train and on foot. Under difficult circumstances Alida always managed to keep three sisters together. However, the children were always forced, often against their will, to wear as many clothes as possible on top of each other to hide their Jewish appearance. Because there was no money to buy food for all the children, the Major took up collections despite the ban. In the process she was betrayed and arrested by an NSB woman. Because her interrogator, probably impressed by her personality, did not lock the door of the interrogation room as well as the outside door after two weeks, the Major was able to walk the streets in an inconspicuous manner.

At the Major's 85th Birthday Celebration at the Moses & Aaron Church near Waterlooplein in Amsterdam in 1998, I was allowed to attend as a guest. I was perplexed by what happened there at the time.

In the book ‘Met Hart & Ziel’ I felt this chapter could be added, the Major himself had not spoken about the war time with the Jewish people in hiding until then. Suddenly it was asked by the speaker if all survivors present wanted to stand, the Jewish children the Major had saved with her team.....!!! After some shuffling of people around me in the church, I looked from left to right, as well as back. These, still alive Jewish children had come in person to honor and thank the Major.

The realization that these people had been saved by her gave not only me, but all visitors goose bumps, an icy silence touched all present deep to the bone. For her courage and decisive action, the Major and her team received the Yad Vashem award. This is an honorary title given by Israel to Gojim, a Hebrew designation for all non-Israeli peoples who helped Jews go into hiding, escape and survive during the Holocaust.

SUSTERS AUGUSTINESSEN

The missionary work of the Augustinian Sisters on Warmoes Street also touched me greatly.

These sisters of love distributed bread to homeless men in a reception room at the front of the Chapel. In the rooms above the Chapel, shelter was offered to help-seeking women from all walks of life. Prayers were offered together with those who wanted them. The sisters themselves sold raffle tickets at the door under the text: Girl's Town.

On April 2 in the year 2005 we organized with our team and many volunteers from the Olofspoort a benefit concert under the name: “Give the Sisters a Lift”

The proceeds were 10,060 Euro.

The Major was welcomed as guest of honor by the Augustinian Sisters. The life's work in Mokum of these sisters unfortunately ended abruptly due to a move. The old convent in the Warmoesstraat was unfortunately converted into a supermarket. The sisters are still missed by many. The sisters first left Amsterdam for Hilversum and now reside in Utrecht to fully enjoy their "old age. Still these sisters of love are fulfilling the mission. They still serve many people in and around the city of Utrecht.

Death Major

On June 25, 2007, Alida Margaretha Bosshart passed away; she was 94 years old. Her life's mission and also personal slogan was: To serve God is to serve people, and to serve people is to serve God.

Major's passing came as an emotional loss and immediately went through downtown like wildfire. Guests in my business were shocked, many in deep mourning. At her funeral at the Nieuwe Ooster cemetery, where I would later hold a position as a general employee, there was beautiful speaking and singing. The white casket represented a symbol of God's Light. Major was interred in the grave of the Salvation Army. I will never forget the happy, satisfied faces I saw shining from under the hats of some of the ladies and gentlemen of the Salvation Army. The Major had accomplished her task. She had been promoted to glory.

My cafe was closed for the occasion (!). Upon returning home, however, the sidewalk of the tasting room in the Olofspoort was packed with neighbors and guests to offer condolences.

Of course we opened the door and acted exactly as the Major himself would have done for us.

Everyone was welcome.

A Word of Thanks

I thank the Major for the trust she placed in me, am incredibly happy to have known her. On June 14, 2022, the Majoor Bosshardthuis opened in the oldest stone residential house in Amsterdam on Oudezijds Armsteeg. Major herself lived in that house for many years. In her familiar neighborhood, she has been immortalized. There is a statue there with a bench. The Major sits there ready to put her arm around your shoulder. Very gladly I sit there for a moment to exchange vertical thoughts. In my head I hear the echo of her voice. The Salvation Army opened to thoughts of William Booth for help and listening the: At Bosshart shelter House Rooms.

It was an unforgettable time! From that experience I greet everyone with the familiar words of the Major and Sisters; with God's Blessing,

Riny Reiken.

22. Een Ode aan Majoor Bosshardt | Hartje Jolijt