The victims
The Second World War took the lives of at least 663 students, staff and alumni of Leiden University. They were killed in raids, deported to concentration camps or, out of desperation, took their own lives.
Their names were included in the commemorative book In Memoriam 1940-1945 published by the university in 1952. Only the name, date of birth and place of death of the victims was mentioned. Researcher Adriënne Baars studied their history and expanded the book with information that was available via internet. Some important sources that she consulted were the websites of the War Graves Foundation and the Jewish Monument. The list is still not definitive because new stories continue to arise. New additions are always welcome.