An extraordinary life reconstructed
Henriëtte Pimentel was an educator and, at the beginning of the twentieth century, became director of Froebel school Cornelia. Her career was dedicated to childcare, and in her spare time she demonstrated a strong social and political commitment to the women’s movement. After holding various positions within the field of childcare, she was appointed director of a daycare on Plantage Middenlaan in Amsterdam in 1926.
That same year, she initiated an internal training program for childcare workers that would later gain international recognition. When she reached retirement age, the Second World War broke out. With the same dedication with which she had cared for children throughout her life, she became a key figure in the courageous plan that enabled approximately six hundred Jewish children to be rescued from deportation. She chose not to go into hiding and could not escape her own fate.
Based on extensive research and numerous interviews, the authors presented a portrait of the courageous and pioneering Henriëtte Pimentel, while also placing her story within the broader context of the era and the history of the daycare itself.