Imagination of Entgen Luijten

Entgen Luijten was imprisoned in the summer of 1674 in the cellars of the Limbricht castle on suspicion of witchcraft, and was murdered there on October 9 of that year. She received no grave; her body was buried near the gallows at Einighausen. The perpetrator was never sought. The descendants of Entgen Luijten commissioned a bronze statue of Entgen to be made by visual artist Ankie Vrolings from Echt.
Background
The Luijten family is pleased with the policy of the management and the tenant of Castle Limbricht to honor and restore the history of the location in a responsible manner. The Luijten family has therefore been contemplating making a gesture for Castle Limbricht for some time, but a suitable proposal did not materialize. That changed when visual artist Ankie Vrolings from Echt – also a family member – proposed to depict the head of Entgen Luijten and have it cast in bronze.


Imagining Entgen Luijten
Unfortunately, we do not know what Entgen looked like. Ankie therefore studied many portraits of family members to find typical family traits. And Entgen’s character, as far as it can be deduced from preserved court documents, needed to be expressed: old, marked by life, but also powerful, without arrogance. A big challenge!
The result was a great surprise for the family: it turned out to be ‘recognizable’ and evoked many emotions. The family is very happy with Ankie’s ‘interpretation’. The statue was officially unveiled on May 31, 2022, and handed over to the Board of Castle Limbricht, where it has found a place on the motte of the castle. On June 3, 2022, the inauguration took place in the presence of the family, sponsors, and other interested parties.
Visit the website for more information about the story of Entgen Luijten and get to know Ankie Vrolings.

Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)