The Hiding Place
(Corrie ten Boom)

Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie is the narrator. Corrie is in her late-20s, and is working as a watchmaker, when she decides to join the Holland underground to help Jews escape the Nazis during World War II. Corrie tells her story of growing up, of joining the underground movement, of paranoia and sacrifices she and her family members made, also of her time in prison and the Ravensbruck concentration camp. Corrie has strong faith in God and is intensely loyal to Him as well as members of her family, especially her sister Betsie. Corrie keeps Betsie’s memory alive by sharing her story and making her dreams come true.

Betsie Ten Boom

Betsie is the older sister of Corrie. Betsie is the oldest daughter of the Ten Boom family, and she steps in as a mother figure when their own mother dies. Betsie is not of perfect health and often works too hard, especially when she is sick. While imprisoned and held in the concentration camp, Betsie uses all of her strength to spread her faith to the other prisoners and to keep the others in excellent spirits. Betsie spreads a feeling of peace to all she comes into contact with and is a pleasant and appreciated the presence for the other women. She is a symbol of all that is good and true.

Casper Ten Boom

Casper Ten Boom is the patriarch of the Ten Boom family. He is the owner of Beje and the watch shop and has worked as a watchmaker for many years. Casper has always been a positive, wise, and kind influence on his children and has always offered them sage advice that Corrie, especially, appreciated. He went along with his children’s desire to help the Jews and was happy to contribute in any way he could, even if it meant risking his own life. Casper fell ill just before Beje was raided, and he died only ten days into his imprisonment.

Willem Ten Boom

Willem is the oldest of the Ten Boom children. Willem received a scholarship to seminary and subsequently became an assistant clergyman. When Willem receives his own placement his entire family visits to hear his first sermon. Willem is the first of the Ten Boom family to get involved in hiding the Jews, and he inspires the rest of his family to do so as well, but to find their own means of doing so because of the strain. Willem falls ill early into imprisonment, and he is never able to recover; he dies soon after Corrie returns home.

Nollie Ten Boom van Woerden

Nollie is the second sister of the Ten Boom family. She is happy to help the Jews just as the rest of her family though she refuses to tell a lie in the process, feeling as though honesty is the best and most faithful policy. Corrie does not agree with Nollie’s refusal to lie though it does prove to work for her on more than one occasion. When Nollie is released from prison she sends Corrie and Betsie a bright blue sweater, a red blanket, and a Bible to lift their spirits.

Pickwick

Pickwick, whose real name is Herman Sluring, is one of the wealthy customers of the watch shop. The girls belief that Pickwick’s appearance makes him seem frightening, though he proves to be quite helpful in the underground. He helps Corrie to set up Beje as a hideout, by installing an alarm and getting the telephone working; he also orchestrates the building of the hidden room where the Jews manage to stay safe. When Corrie gets out of Ravensbruck, it is Pickwick that helps her get back to Beje, though it is illegal to enter Haarlem at that time.

Toos

Toos is one of the employees of the watch shop. She is an elderly woman who Casper employed to help keep the books; before working for Casper, Toos had been unable to keep a job because she was so disagreeable. Toos can develop a gentler demeanor after being around Casper, and she becomes a more pleasant person. When Corrie returns from Ravensbruck she finds that Toos had kept the watch shop running the entire time the family was gone.

Otto

Otto is a young man who is German and proud to admit that he is a part of the Hitler Youth. Casper hires him at the watch shop to give him a chance though he is frequently disrespectful of the Ten Booms and the Jews for their reading of the Old Testament. He is fired from the shop after he becomes particularly disrespectful toward an old man named Christoffels. Later, when Beje is operating as a hideout for the Jews, Otto interrogates Corrie and Betsie.

Christoffels

Christoffels is an elderly man who Casper employees at the watch shop as a clock repairman. At first the rest of the family is skeptical of Casper’s judgment because Christoffels appears to be poor and quite ragged, though he soon proves himself as supremely talented. Christoffels never seems to spend any of the money he earns at the shop until he shows up for the anniversary celebration in new clothing. Just before Beje is raided, during a particularly nasty winter, Christoffels dies in his bed.

Peter

Peter is Nollie’s son who proves himself to be a musical prodigy at a remarkably young age. His talent was discovered when he pointed out a wrong piano note while listening to the radio, and he was then encouraged to begin playing. Once when the family goes to see him play the piano he plays the Dutch national anthem which by that point had been outlawed by the Germans. Peter is taken to prison after playing the anthem though he only remains there for a short time before being released.

Mr. Smit

Mr. Smit is the codename for everyone involved in the underground; if no one knows the real names of those involved then they do not have to worry about lying when questioned. Corrie realizes how thankful she is for not knowing anyone’s real names when she is questioned in prison, and she finds that she truly has no answers for the questions being asked of her. Casper has a hard time with the many Mr. Smits because he does not yet seem to understand the sound logic behind the name.

Karel

Karel was a friend of Willem’s when he was a teenager; Corrie was in love with him. Karel asked Corrie if he could write her and Corrie enthusiastically agreed, throwing herself entirely into the mostly on-sided relationship via correspondence. Willem cautioned Corrie that Karel’s parents would never consent for him to marry someone of a lower class like Corrie, but she did not heed the caution. When Corrie was introduced to Karel’s fiancé, she was heartbroken. She finally forgave Karel and was happy for him, though she never mentioned loving another man after him.

Tante Jans

Tante Jans is one of Corrie’s aunts who lives at Beje. She is an exceptionally strong presence and commands respect and attention from all she encounters; this is probably why she had more personal space at Beje than anyone else. She is truly devout in her practicing of an outdated religion which she single-handedly tries to spread throughout Haarlem with the pamphlets she makes. Tante Jans is preoccupied with death, feeling as though she will die before she can accomplish everything that she wants to in life; when she does die of diabetes she is accepting of her fate.

Rolf van Vliet

Rolf van Vliet is a policeman in Haarlem, Holland. He is a friend of the Ten Boom family, and he issues warnings of coming raids to Corrie and her family members. He risks his life in giving the warnings because the Germans have begun to take over law enforcement. When the Ten Boom family is first arrested and brought to prison, Rolf tells them to shred any incriminating documents they may have on them and flush them down the toilets at the police station.

Lieutenant Rehms

Lieutenant Rehms is the man Corrie must see for her hearing after she is arrested. He is particularly interested in hearing about Corrie’s faith because he feels as though he is surrounded by darkness in his life and could use some light. Despite being interested in what Corrie tells him that he does not accept her offer to change his life. He is also the man who reads Casper’s will to the Ten Boom children; he mostly arranged the meeting so that Corrie and Betsie can see one another.