He was already an honorary citizen of the province of Poznan and the municipality of Czerwonak in Poland. Since Friday, Drent Hans Smits, who lives in Groningen, can also call himself a Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau.
Corresponding decorations were presented on Friday afternoon in the Immanuel Church in Groningen by Groningen Mayor Koen Schuiling.
Hans Smits worked for the Protestant church in various positions for forty years. Smits owes his honorary citizenship of Poznan and Czerwonak to his efforts for (disabled) children in Poland. De Drent – he was born (1946) and raised in Borger and lived in Westerbork for thirty years before settling in Groningen – was chairman of children’s homes in Poland from 1981 to 2020 and also founded a home for disabled children. He was also involved in 55 aid transports to Poland and the adoption of three Polish orphans.
In addition, he was a board member of the Historical Association Westerbork for twenty years, he conducted field research at the Camp Westerbork Remembrance Center, he established an exchange between war museums in the Netherlands, Poland and Belgium, and he taught asylum seekers in Westerbork for three years. He is currently a board member of CDA Senioren in the province of Groningen.
Hans Smits was employed as a social worker by several municipalities. He ended his work as head of Social Services in the municipality of Westerbork.