Who was Cato Bontjes van Beek?
Born in Bremen in 1920, Cato Bontjes van Beek was the daughter of the artist and painter Olga Bontjes van Beek and the sculptor and ceramic Jan Bontjes van Beek. After her parents’ divorce she went to England to learn the language at the age of 17.
What does Cato van Beek stand for?
Cato Bontjes van Beek ( German: [ˈkaːto ˈbɔnti̯əs fan ˈbeːk] ( listen); 14 November 1920 – 5 August 1943) was a German member of the Resistance against the Nazi regime. Born in Bremen, Cato was the eldest of three children. She spent her childhood and youth in the nearby Fischerhude artists’ colony around her uncle Otto Modersohn.
What is Cato Bontjes van Beek-Gymnasium?
A gymnasium secondary school in Achim, a town near Bremen, has since 1991 borne the name Cato Bontjes van Beek-Gymnasium. A street in nearby Fischerhude also bears her name, and an explanatory notice. Both these places are in the Verden district.
What was Cato van Beek’s family life like?
Her parents, the Dutch -born potter Jan Bontjes van Beek (1899–1969) and dancer and painter Olga Bontjes van Beek, née Breling (1896–1995) offered their children a lot of personal freedom while growing up. From 1929, Cato stayed abroad to attend the German school in Amsterdam, and in 1937, she spent time in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire,…