A monument to the “witches” will be built in Roermond, where 89 people died

The organizing committee has confirmed that a monument will be erected in Roermond, Limburg, in honor of women in the Netherlands who were murdered because they were considered “witches”.

The city was chosen from a shortlist of three because it had the most “witches” killed there – 89.

The memorial, to be completed in 2025 or 2026, is intended to “contribute to restoring the good name of the victims, raising awareness and education about the persecution of witches and their cultural legacy of modern misogyny, femicide and scapegoating,” the organizations said. .

The monument will be placed next to ul Rattentorenthe last remaining fragment of the medieval city walls and a prison where women suspected of being witches were held.

The foundations for the construction of the monument were laid beginning of last year. Organizers claimed at the time that the movement was a way to raise awareness of issues that are still very relevant today.

For example, former D66 leader Sigrid Kaag was called a “witch” by the far right, and torch-holding protesters showed up at her home and at meetings.

So far, the committee has raised more than €40,000 to erect the memorial and says it still welcomes further donations to help the foundation fight current violence against women.

“A woman is killed every eight days and witch hunts continue in 44 countries, mainly in Africa and India,” the foundation said.

The first woman was murdered as a “witch” in 1472 in the Netherlands, and the last in 1674. In total, several hundred “witches” were murdered in 44 different places.

City Oudewater in Utrecht also applied to organize a monument to witches. But his claim to fame is that no one who stepped on the official scale was ever light enough to be one.