The Lourdes Grotto of Luttenberg is a special place in the Overijssel village of Luttenberg. This religious building has stood at a crossroads since 1915, centrally in the traditionally Roman Catholic village.
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the priesthood of Father Petrus Butzelaar, parishioners began building this grotto in 1914. The location was specially chosen, close to a newly constructed procession path. In September 1915, the grotto was inaugurated with a special sermon. Over the years, Mary was venerated here and the grotto was the centre of an annual procession. In the second half of the 1940s, the grotto served as a place for collective prayers for the safe return of twenty young Luttenberg conscripts, who had been sent to the Dutch East Indies because of the struggle for independence there. In gratitude for their safe return, an electric light wreath was placed around the statue of Mary.
Although interest in the Lourdes grotto later waned and the last procession took place in 1962, the grotto remained a meaningful place. In 1973, however, the dilapidation was so great that demolition was inevitable. The Luttenberg believers took action again and in 1975 a solid replica of the concrete grotto was built, in which the familiar statue of Mary was given a place.
Nowadays the Lourdes grotto is more of a tourist attraction than an active place of devotion. A plaque still commemorates the gratitude for the return of the twenty soldiers. In 2015 the centenary of this religious monument was celebrated, which was declared a national monument in 1999.