Resistance hero Gerrit van der Veen (1902-1944) was a sculptor. He took an active part in the resistance and was one of the initiators of the moderately successful robbery on March 27, 1943 on the population register of Amsterdam. He was also the mastermind behind the counterfeiting of the identity card exchange. He was betrayed in one of his actions. Awaiting his execution in 1944, he wrote the characteristic words for him: “I have always known what I dared and should not complain, but I am sorry.”
Gerrit van der Veen lived on Zomerdijkstraat until he had to go into hiding because of his resistance work. Previously, he was a hardworking sculptor, as can be seen from the many sculptures of his hand found in the city, Amsterdam and across the country. On Curaçao, a clock features a sculpture by Van der Veen. Van der Veen started as a technical draftsman on Curaçao. However, he was able to receive a scholarship to the Academy in Amsterdam as a reward for a heroic act he performed in the port of Curaçao. At the risk of his own life, he prevented disaster on his own. Due to the war and the fatal outcome for him, his oeuvre has never been able to develop further.
Sources (https://www.zomerdijkstraatretrospectief.nl/zdr_1steR.htm, https://www.amsterdamhv.nl/wiki/gerritvdveenstraat.html)