Denis Claire Baudouin Mesritz (The Hague, November 16, 1919 – Rathenow, March 16, 1945 ) was a Dutch lawyer. He studied law at the University of Groningen until 1942. Jean Mesritz was his brother.
During the Second World War, Mesritz was active in the resistance. He was the founder of the underground newspaper De Toekomst “The Future” as well as being involved in “De Geus”, “Het Parool” and “Ons Volk”. In addition, he was an initiator of what would become the National Resistance Committee. He helped coordinate resistance across all nine Dutch Universities, and with the broader resistance movement, through the Council of Nine.
On May 16, 1944, he was arrested by the Germans on the Amsterdam-Hague traindue to a missing stamp on his assumed identity papers. He died at the age of 25 in the concentration camp in Rathenow and is buried at Ereveld Loenen.
He was posthumously awarded the Dutch Cross of Resistance.
"For in dangerous circumstances having shown courage, initiative, obstinacy, sacrifice and dedication in the battle against the oppresser of the Dutch independence and keeping up spritual freedom, and so honoring in him one of the ways of resistance, that was shown in its many forms from 15th May 1940 until 5th May 1945 in growing manner inflicting damage to the enemies cause and having contributed in an unforgettable way to the liberation of the homeland." — Royal Decree No. 17, dated 7th May 1946
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