A monument to the women in the Netherlands who were killed because they were considered to be “witches” will be erected in Roermond in Limburg, the organising committee has confirmed.

The city was chosen from a shortlist of three because most “witches” – 89 – were killed there.

The monument, to be realised in 2025 or 2026, aims to “contribute to the restoration of the reputations of the victims, raising awareness and education around witch persecutions and their cultural heritage in the form of contemporary misogyny, femicide and scapegoating,” the organisations said.

The monument will be placed next to the Rattentoren, the last remaining section of the medieval town walls and the prison where women who were suspected of being witches were locked up.

The foundation to establish a monument was set up at the beginning of last year. The organisers said at the time the movement was a way to raise awareness of themes that are still very relevant today.

Former D66 leader Sigrid Kaag, for example, was called a “witch” by the far right, and demonstrators carrying torches turned up at her home and at meetings.

So far the committee has raised over €40,000 to put up the monument and says more donations are still welcome to help the foundation’s work around current violence against women.

“Every eight days a woman is killed and witch hunts still take place in 44 countries, primarily in Africa and India,” the foundation said.

The first woman was murdered as a “witch” in 1472 in the Netherlands and the last in 1674. In total several hundred “witches” were killed in 44 different places.

The town of Oudewater in Utrecht was also in the running to host the memorial to witches. But its claim to fame is that no-one who stepped onto the official scales was ever found light enough to be one.