View source for Luitjens, Jacob (1919-2022)

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Jacob Luitjens: educator and convicted war criminal; born 18 April 1919 to Steven Broil Luitjens and Martje (Westerdijk) Luitjens in Buitenzorg, Dutch East Indies (now [[Indonesia]]). He married Olga Klassen (3 February 1927, [[Dnipropetrovsk (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine)|Dnipro]], Ukraine – 21 November 2022, [[Rosthern (Saskatchewan, Canada)|Rosthern]], Saskatchewan, Canada), daughter of Peter J. Klassen (1888-1977) and Maria (Thiessen) Klassen (1902-1991), on 5 July 1952 in [[Filadelfia (Fernheim Colony, Boquerón Department, Paraguay)|Filadelfia]], Fernheim, Paraguay. The couple had three children: Gerhard, Annette and Peter. Jacob died 14 December 2022 in [[Lemmer (Friesland, Netherlands)|Lemmer]], [[Friesland (Netherlands)|Friesland]], the Netherlands.

In the 1930s, Jacob’s father, a talented veterinarian, moved his family back from Buitenzorg to [[Roden (Drente, Netherlands)|Roden]], Drente, the Netherlands. When German forces invaded [[Netherlands|the Netherlands]] in 1940, Steven Luitjens became a committed [[National Socialism (Nazism) (The Netherlands)|National Socialist]]. His son Jacob applied to the ''Waffen'' SS but was refused due to his deformed left arm and hand. He then joined the ''Landwacht'', which hunted down Dutch Resistance members and handed them over to Fascist squads. It is unclear whether Jacob in fact ever killed anyone. After World War II ended in 1945, Jacob surrendered to the authorities and was imprisoned at Westerbork. He escaped from the prison camp just over a year later.

Luitjens made his way to the Mennonite refugee camp at [[Backnang (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)|Backnang]], Germany, where he assumed the alias of Gerhard Harder (1918-1940), a Prussian Mennonite who died during [[World War (1939-1945) - Germany|World War II]]. [[Mennonite Central Committee (International)|Mennonite Central Committee]] allowed him to board the refugee ship Charlton Monarch, bound for [[Paraguay]]. Either on board or in Paraguay he met Olga Klassen and the two married in 1952. Luitjens earned a living there, along with Olga, as a schoolteacher. Meanwhile, a Dutch court sentenced him in absentia to life in prison for his actiities during World War II.

In 1952, Luitjens acknowledged his real name, and in 1958, became a citizen of Paraguay. Olga’s parents were already living in [[Canada]], and somehow Jacob and Olga managed to immigrate to [[Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada)|Vancouver]] in 1961, despite his past record. Jacob worked as a botany instructor at the University of British Columbia. He became a Canadian citizen in 1971. The couple were active members of [[Peace Church on 52nd (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)|First United Mennonite Church]] in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In 1981, Dutch journalist Sjoerd Post found Jacob Luitjens at his Vancouver home. A federal court was convened to discuss the case; fellow church members rallied to his cause. In 1991 he was deported to the Netherlands and his Canadian citizenship revoked. He was sentenced to six years in prison in [[Groningen (Groningen, Netherlands)|Groningen]] but was released at the age of 75 in 1995. Luitjens spent his final years living alone in the Netherlands.

In later interviews, Jacob Luitjens remarked that his story might offer hope that "a monster can become a normal person again."

= Bibliography =
Barnouw, David. "Jacob Luitjens: A Dutch Mennonite War Criminal." ''Mennonite Quarterly Review'' (2022): 255-274.

GRanDMA (The '''G'''enealogical '''R'''egistry '''and D'''atabase of '''M'''ennonite '''A'''ncestry) Database, 23-08a ed. Fresno, CA: [https://grandmaonline.org GRanDMA Project Committee], 2023: #369743.

"Jacob Luitjens." Wikipedia. 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Luitjens.

Langer, Emily. "Jacob Luitjens, Dutch collaborator during World War II, dies at 103." ''Washington Post'' (20 Dec. 2022).

"Obituary of Olga Luitjens." Funk’s Funeral Home. https://funksfuneralhome.ca/tribute/details/995/Olga-Luitjens/obituary.html.

Murray, Heather Pauls. "Soul-searching play explores compassion and revenge in aftermath of war." ''Mennonite Brethren Herald'' (1 Apr. 2010): https://mbherald.com/soul-searching-play-explores-compassion-and-revenge-in-aftermath-of-war/.

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[[Category:Persons]]