Van Luijn Natuursteen

Van Luijn Natuursteen is a Dutch natural-stone working company based in Tiel, in the province of Gelderland. It is a family business that has been active in the stone-masonry craft for more than a century, and it describes itself as a renowned natural-stone company in the Tiel region. Its work covers all facets of the stone-masonry trade, with a specialisation in natural-stone grave monuments, ash destinations (memorial options after cremation such as urns and columbaria), building and design products for inside and around the home, and art commissions. The company is a holder of the Dutch 'hofleverancier' (royal warrant) designation, an honour granted to businesses of long standing and good repute. The firm traces its origins to the workshop of stone-mason W.F. Rijksen, into which the family became connected when the mother of Gerrit van Luijn (1866–1943) remarried Rijksen in 1878. On 1 August 1906 the municipal council of Tiel granted Gerrit van Luijn a permit to continue Rijksen's business as Steenhouwerij G. van Luijn on the Lingedijk. The company was subsequently carried on by Gerrit van Luijn jr. (1914–1983), and in 1966 his son Gerard van Luijn (born 1950) joined the firm. As Tiel expanded, the business moved to Drumpt in 1971 and then to the Kellen industrial estate in Tiel in 1996. Since 2019 the leadership has been in the hands of the fourth generation, Michiel van Luijn (born 1976). Van Luijn Natuursteen presents its working method around three principles: personal attention and advice, high-quality materials and production with attention to sustainable entrepreneurship, and hand finishing. Its product range includes grave monuments made in cooperation with clients, memorial possibilities after cremation such as urns or a natural-stone columbarium, a wide variety of natural-stone products for inside and around the house, and art works. The company operates a showroom, office and workshop at Morsestraat 32 in Tiel, and offers visits by appointment or at the customer's home. In the twenty-first century the firm has combined its craft with cultural and community activity. For its centenary in 2006 it organised the event 'Speciaal werk in een steenhouwerij', in which 24 visual artists from its regular clientele used the workshop as a studio for four weeks; the results were exhibited from May to September 2007 along the Azul Macauba sculpture route in Tiel's inner-city gardens, and two works were made available to the city. In 2015, with the exhibition 'As in Beeld', it worked with sixty artists to mark the arrival of the crematorium in Tiel and cremation in general. The company also supports the Tiel community by contributing expertise, craftsmanship and manpower, wholly or partly free of charge, to the maintenance and restoration of memorial monuments such as gravestones at the Ter Navolging cemetery and the Jewish cemetery, and the boundary post between Drumpt and Kerk-Avezaath on the Culemborgse Grintweg. It participates in the Hommage Hofleverancier project, an initiative of four Tiel royal-warrant holders giving artists a platform, and has collaborated with the designer duo Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros ('Designers of the Unusual') on ecologically responsible design urns made from residual material from the stone workshop, winning the biennial Dutch Funeral Award in the urn category.

The history of Van Luijn Natuursteen begins with the stone-mason's workshop of W.F. Rijksen. In 1878 the mother of Gerrit van Luijn (1866–1943) remarried the stone-mason W.F. Rijksen, linking the family to the craft. On 1 August 1906 the municipal council of Tiel granted Gerrit van Luijn a permit to continue Rijksen's business under his own name as Steenhouwerij G. van Luijn, on the Lingedijk. This date marks the formal founding of the enterprise. After Gerrit van Luijn's death the business was carried on by Gerrit van Luijn jr. (1914–1983). In 1966 his son Gerard van Luijn (born 1950) entered the firm, beginning the third generation's involvement. As the town of Tiel expanded, the company relocated in 1971 to Drumpt, and then in 1996 to the Kellen industrial estate in Tiel, where it has since been established. Since 2019 the leadership has been in the hands of the fourth generation, Michiel van Luijn (born 1976). Over the decades the firm has broadened its craft from grave monuments into all facets of stone masonry: natural-stone grave monuments, ash destinations, building and design, and art commissions. It has also become known for cultural and community projects. For its centenary in 2006 it organised the event 'Speciaal werk in een steenhouwerij', in which 24 visual artists belonging to its regular clientele used the stone workshop as an atelier for four weeks. Among the participants were Ad Arma, Riesjart Bus, Jan van IJzendoorn, Jiro Inagaki, Coen Kaayk, Guusje Kaayk, Ton Kalle, Saskia Pfaeltzer, Cornelius Rogge, Lydia Schouten, Stef Stokhof de Jong, Jerome Symons, Hans Versteeg, Carla Wiersma and Sabine Zwikker. The results were exhibited from May to September 2007 along the Azul Macauba sculpture route in Tiel's inner-city gardens, and two works were made available to the city by the artists. In 2015, with the exhibition 'As in Beeld', Van Luijn worked with sixty artists to draw attention to the arrival of the crematorium in Tiel and to cremation in general. The company demonstrates its involvement in Tiel society by deploying its expertise, craftsmanship and manpower wholly or partly free of charge for the maintenance and restoration of memorial monuments, such as the gravestones at the Ter Navolging cemetery and the Jewish cemetery, and the boundary post between Drumpt and Kerk-Avezaath on the Culemborgse Grintweg. It is one of the participants in the Hommage Hofleverancier project, an initiative of four Tiel royal-warrant holders that gives artists a platform. Seeking new possibilities for natural stone, it entered into a collaboration with the designer duo Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros, known as 'Designers of the Unusual', who developed ecologically responsible design urns made from residual material from the stone workshop; with these Van Luijn won the biennial Dutch Funeral Award in the urn category. The company is a holder of the 'hofleverancier' (royal warrant) designation, and in its own communications it has marked its long history with anniversary open days, including a 120-year anniversary event.

• 2019

  Leadership passes to the fourth generation, Michiel van Luijn (born 1976).

• 2015

  Exhibition 'As in Beeld' with sixty artists marks the arrival of the crematorium in Tiel and cremation in general.

• 2007

  Results of the centenary project exhibited from May to September along the Azul Macauba sculpture route in Tiel's inner-city gardens.

• 2006

  Centenary event 'Speciaal werk in een steenhouwerij': 24 artists use the workshop as an atelier for four weeks.

• 1996

  The company moves to the Kellen industrial estate in Tiel.

• 1971

  The company moves to Drumpt as Tiel expands.

• 1966

  Gerard van Luijn (born 1950) joins the firm, beginning the third generation's involvement.

• 1906

  On 1 August the Tiel municipal council grants Gerrit van Luijn a permit to continue Rijksen's business as Steenhouwerij G. van Luijn on the Lingedijk.

• 1878

  The mother of Gerrit van Luijn remarries stone-mason W.F. Rijksen, linking the family to the stone-masonry craft.

A long-established, royal-warrant-holding family stone-masonry firm in Tiel, positioning itself on personal advice, high-quality hand-finished natural stone, sustainable entrepreneurship, and community and cultural engagement.

• Natural-stone grave monuments and gravestones

  Custom-made in cooperation with clients.

• Ash destinations (urns, columbaria)

  Memorial options after cremation, including urns and a natural-stone columbarium.

• Building & design natural-stone products

  A wide variety of natural-stone products for inside and around the home.

• Art commissions

  Artists have found their way to Van Luijn Natuursteen over the years.

• Ecological design urns

  Developed with designers Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros from residual material from the stone workshop; won the Dutch Funeral Award in the urn category.

1. 1Grafmonumenten, grafstenen en as bestemmingen | Van Luijn Natuursteenvanluijnnatuursteen.nl
2. 2Van Luijn Natuursteenwikidata.org
3. 3Van Luijn Natuursteennl.wikipedia.org