Entgen Luijten was imprisoned in the cellars of Limbricht Castle in the summer of 1674 on suspicion of witchcraft, and was murdered there on 9 October of that year. She was not given a grave, her body was buried underground near the gallows at Einighausen. The perpetrator was never sought. The descendants of Entgen Luijten had a bronze statue of Entgen made by visual artist Ankie Vrolings from Echt.
Background
The Luijten family is pleased with the policy of the board and the tenant of Kasteel Limbricht to honor or restore the history of the location in a responsible manner. The Luijten family had therefore been toying with the idea of making a gesture for Limbricht Castle for some time, but they did not come up with a suitable proposal. That changed when visual artist Ankie Vrolings from Echt - also a family member - proposed to portray the head of Entgen Luijten and have it cast in bronze.
Imagination of Entgen Luijten
Unfortunately we don't know what Entgen looked like. Ankie has therefore studied many portraits of members of the family to find typical family traits. And Entgen's character, as far as can be deduced from surviving trial documents, had to be expressed: old, scarred by life, but also powerful, without arrogance. A big challenge!
The result was a big surprise for the family: it turns out to be 'recognizable' and evokes a lot of emotions. The family is therefore very happy with Ankie's 'interpretation'. The statue was officially unveiled on May 31, 2022 and handed over to the Board of Limbricht Castle and has been given a place on the motte of the castle. On June 3, 2022, the inauguration was in the presence of the family, sponsors and other interested parties.
Visit the website for more information about the story of Entgen Luijten and meet Ankie Vrolings.
This text has been automatically translated using an online translation service.
