Reint Dijkema was a Dutch resistance fighter from Smilde who studied medicine at the University of Groningen during the Second World War. Coming from a deeply religious Reformed family, he was known for his quiet strength and strong moral convictions. When the wearing of the yellow Star of David became mandatory for Jews in 1942, Reint and his brother protested by making and wearing their own stars — an act of defiance that led to their arrest and imprisonment in Kamp Amersfoort.
After his release, Dijkema joined the Dutch resistance, working with the underground press De Geus and Trouw, and later with the Landelijke Organisatie voor Hulp aan Onderduikers (LO). He became a key member of the Knokploegen (armed resistance groups) under the alias “Remco,” helping to coordinate sabotage and raids for food ration cards.
In late 1943, Dijkema took part in the assassination of Anne Jannes Elsinga, head of the Special Police in Groningen, who was responsible for the persecution of many resistance members. Though he struggled deeply with the moral weight of the act, he continued his work in the underground. His group later carried out one of the largest raids of the occupation, seizing 130,000 ration cards from the Hoitsema printing company in Groningen.
In June 1944, Dijkema was betrayed, arrested, and severely tortured at the infamous Scholtenhuis. Even in captivity, he protected his comrades by taking full responsibility for the resistance activities. He was executed at Kamp Vught on 22 August 1944, at the age of 24.
Reint Dijkema is commemorated on a plaque in the University of Groningen’s main building and by a street bearing his name in Siddeburen. A Stolperstein (stumbling stone) in front of his former home in Groningen keeps his memory alive.
