Guus Luijters Discloses Faces of Nearly 20,000 Deportee and Murdered Children

Title: Remembering Guus Luijters: A Life Dedicated to Honoring Amsterdam’s Holocaust Victims

In the quiet neighborhood of Kattenburg on one of Amsterdam’s Eastern Islands, a young Guus Luijters, then just four years old, sat on the back of his father’s bicycle. As they rode through the streets, young Guus noticed broken, empty houses, their interiors visible like ghosts of the past. "Where are all those people?" he asked his father. "They’re gone," his father replied.

This poignant memory would years later inspire Luijters, a renowned writer, journalist, poet, and chronicler of the city, to pen his most profound work, "In Memoriam. De gedeporteerde en vermoorde Joodse, Roma en Sinti kinderen 1942-1945", published in 2012. On January 3, 2025, Luijters passed away at the age of 81, after a battle with cancer, which he chose not to treat after being diagnosed in April 2024.

Born on November 3, 1943, in Amsterdam’s Bos en Lommer neighborhood, Luijters’ literary journey began early. After attending the Erasmusschool and the Hogere Burgerschool, he graduated from the Spinoza Lyceum. While studying at the University of Amsterdam, he started writing columns for the student publication "Propria Cures", eventually becoming its editor from 1969 to 1971. His impressive career spanned over four decades, from 1971 to 2019, as a literary critic and columnist for "Het Parool". During his tenure as the editor of "Playboy" (1983-2003), he provided a platform for prominent writers like Willem Frederik Hermans and Gerard Reve.

Luijters’ love for reading began in his early years. At eleven, he was captivated by Edgar Allan Poe’s stories. Later, influential works included Dostoevsky’s "Crime and Punishment", Nabokov’s "Lolita", and Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice". His passion for literature lasted until his final days, even co-authoring "Ode aan het ei" with his journalist daughter, Sara Luijters, in 2021.

In 1979, Luijters faced harsh criticism from polemicist Jeroen Brouwers with the pamphlet "De Nieuwe Revisor". Despite the controversy, Luijters maintained a dignified distance from Brouwers’ accusations. Luijters debuted as a prose writer with "Circus Melancholia" in 1972, followed by the poetry collection "Canigou" in 1992. His works often explored childhood memories and strolls through his beloved Amsterdam.

Luijters’ dedication to honoring Holocaust victims is evident in his three publications on the subject. In "Verdwenen stad" (2023), co-authored with documentary filmmaker Willy Lindwer, he critically examines the role of Amsterdam’s public transport company, GVB, in deporting Jews. His magnum opus, "In Memoriam", co-authored with Aline Pennewaard, provides a biographical sketch of nearly 20,000 deported and murdered children, drawing from seven years of archival research.

Accompanying "In Memoriam" was an emotional exhibition at Amsterdam’s City Archives, displaying 3,000 photographs of the deported children. Luijters calculated that there were 102 train transports carrying children via Westerbork to concentration camps. Among the late transports was Anne Frank‘s, with Luijters noting that she could see the Achterhuis from the tram.

Luijters’ relentless pursuit of truth and justice has left an indelible mark on Amsterdam’s literary and historical landscapes. His works serve as a poignant reminder of the city’s past and a beacon of hope for its future. As we bid farewell to Guus Luijters, we celebrate his life’s work, which has ensured that the stories of Amsterdam’s Holocaust victims will never be forgotten.