Grachtengordel in Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands — Northwestern Europe

Alje Klamer

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, August 31, 2026

1. Alje Klamer Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Alje Klamer
1923-1986
hij/hem he/him

De Hilversumse hervormde radiopastor Alje Klamer brak begin jaren 1960 een lans vóor homoseksuelen. Als bondgenoot doorbrak hij met ferme woorden een groot taboe en sprak zich uit voor steun, zorg en erkenning.

In the early 1960s, Alje Klamer, a Dutch Reformed radio pastor from Hilversum, broke a major taboo in religious circles during his broadcasts by strongly advocating for the support, care, and recognition of homosexuals.

Erected 2026 by Walk of Pride Amsterdam. (Marker Number 40.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Walk of Pride Amsterdam series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1960.

Location. 52° 22.431′ N, 4° 53.16′ E. Marker is in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland (North Holland). It is in Grachtengordel. It is on Raadhuisstraat, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Raadhuisstraat 40B, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland 1016 DG, Netherlands. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is in

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Europe,

the European Union,

Atlantic Europe,

the Benelux Low Countries,

the Schengen Area,

Western Europe,

and the Western World.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Holy Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Miriam van der Have (a few steps from this marker); Marielle Franco (a few steps from this marker); Brenda Howard (within shouting distance of this marker); Betty Paërl (within shouting distance of this marker); Nico (Niek) Engelschman 1913-1988 (within shouting distance of this marker); Benno Premsela (within shouting distance of this marker); Georgina Beyer (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Edgar Caïro (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Amsterdam.

Also see . . . Alje Klamer (Walk of Pride Amsterdam). Excerpt:

…Linked to his radio sermons was a pastoral service: listeners could write or call Klamer after the broadcast. Although he initially viewed this anonymous form of pastoral care with skepticism, it turned out that its anonymity was exactly what made it so successful.

Klamer
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, August 31, 2026

2. Alje Klamer Marker - wide view
The marker is visible here set into the pavement in the lower center of the picture.
received bags full of mail and countless phone calls, precisely because those who sent the letters or made the calls knew that their family or neighbors would not be able to read along or listen in. Already in the first week, he was confronted with the story of a homosexual listener—but also with his own prejudices. After all, during his training, Klamer had been taught that a minister should advise a homosexual to undergo castration.

At that moment, Klamer realized that the Church was excluding people instead of welcoming them in love. For him, everything in the Church revolved around the love of Jesus. He immediately he held a sermon that was sympathetic towards homosexual people. This was unprecedented and resulted in even more mail: positive letters from homosexual listeners, but also a great deal of hate mail from other listeners.

The booklet De Homoseksuele Naaste (“The homosexual neighbor”) was published in 1961 in Dutch Reformed circles. It provided a lot of information and did not pass immediate moral judgement on homosexual people. In that same year, Klamer aligned himself with this approach in two radio talks: one on
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prejudice and the other on ignoring people in silence versus showing them love.

He began the second of those talks with the words: “This afternoon I want to speak with you about ignoring the hundreds of thousands of homosexual people in our country in silence,” and continued with “Do not despise the love of a homosexual person.” To homosexual listeners, he said:

God wants you to live as a free person. Do not let anyone persuade you that the Bible is against you.

In an article he wrote in the Haagsche Courant, a daily newspaper from The Hague, Klamer pointed out that 400,000 homosexual people were being ignored in silence and that countless men and women felt alienated from the Gospel because they have the idea that they do not count. He also advocated for education for young people. This was not only revolutionary for that time but also exceptionally courageous.

(Submitted on September 4, 2026.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 4, 2026, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 4, 2026, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.