Jacob Luitjens
Encyclopedia
Jacob Luitjens was a Dutch
collaborator
during World War II
. He was nicknamed The terror of Roden, as he was active in and around Roden
in the Drenthe
Province.
After the war, on 10 September 1948, he was convicted in absentia
to life imprisonment
. Luitjens evaded this punishment by fleeing to Paraguay
, aided by Mennonite
s, using the name "Gerhard Harder". After that, he emigrated to Canada
in 1961, where he became a successful professor
of botany
at the University of British Columbia
in Vancouver
.
The Frisian
Jack Kooistra, also known as 'the Frisian Simon Wiesenthal
', managed to track down Luitjens in 1992. Luitjens was stripped of his Canadian citizenship and was deported to the Netherlands. At a court in Assen
, he was convicted to an imprisonment of 28 months. He served this term, until March 1995 in a prison in Groningen. Afterwards, the Canadian government forbade his return to Canada. Luitjens is without a nationality since then.
Ian Kagedan
of B'nai Brith Canada
characterized the deportation as part of an ongoing "quest" to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
collaborator
Collaborationism
Collaborationism is cooperation with enemy forces against one's country. Legally, it may be considered as a form of treason. Collaborationism may be associated with criminal deeds in the service of the occupying power, which may include complicity with the occupying power in murder, persecutions,...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was nicknamed The terror of Roden, as he was active in and around Roden
Roden (Drenthe)
Roden is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is located in the municipality of Noordenveld, about 16 km southeast of Groningen. Roden has 15.000 citizens....
in the Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
Province.
After the war, on 10 September 1948, he was convicted in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. Luitjens evaded this punishment by fleeing to Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, aided by Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
s, using the name "Gerhard Harder". After that, he emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1961, where he became a successful professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
The Frisian
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
Jack Kooistra, also known as 'the Frisian Simon Wiesenthal
Simon Wiesenthal
Simon Wiesenthal KBE was an Austrian Holocaust survivor who became famous after World War II for his work as a Nazi hunter....
', managed to track down Luitjens in 1992. Luitjens was stripped of his Canadian citizenship and was deported to the Netherlands. At a court in Assen
Assen
Assen is a municipality and a city in the north eastern Netherlands, capital of the province of Drenthe. It received city rights in 1809. Assen's main claim to fame is the TT Circuit Assen the motorcycle racing circuit, where on the last Saturday in June the Dutch TT is run...
, he was convicted to an imprisonment of 28 months. He served this term, until March 1995 in a prison in Groningen. Afterwards, the Canadian government forbade his return to Canada. Luitjens is without a nationality since then.
Ian Kagedan
Ian Kagedan
Ian Kagedan is a Canadian public servant known for his work on inter-religious and inter-ethnic relations. Formerly National Director of Government Relations of B'nai Brith Canada He was appointed to serve on the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada....
of B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada is the Canadian section of B'nai Brith . It was founded in 1875 and is the country's oldest Jewish service organization.-Members:...
characterized the deportation as part of an ongoing "quest" to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.