Jaap Meijer (writer)

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Jaap Meijer
Born
Jakob Meijer

(1912-11-18)18 November 1912
Winschoten, Netherlands
Died9 July 1993(1993-07-09) (aged 80)
Heemstede, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Other namesSaul van Messel
Occupation(s)Historian, poet
Notable workIsaac da Costa's weg naar het Christendom (1946)
RelativesIscha Meijer (son)

Jaap Meijer (18 November 1912 – 9 July 1993) was a Dutch Jewish historian, and poet. He wrote his poetry under the pseudonym Saul van Messel.

Biography[edit]

Meijer was born Jakob Meijer on 18 November 1912 in Winschoten, Netherlands, and was raised in the Orthodox Jewish tradition.[1] At the age of 10, his father died, and it was decided to send him to the Dutch Israeli Seminary [nl] in Amsterdam[2] to become a rabbi.[3] During this period, he was involved in the zionist movement.[1]

Meijer graduated from the seminary in 1938,[4][3] but decided that he did not want to become a rabbi,[3] and continued to study history at the University of Amsterdam.[2] World War II had started and the Netherlands had been invaded, but Meijer had other things on his mind.[5] On 20 June 1940, he married Liesje Voet, which caused controversy with his orthodox family, because her father was active as a trade unionist.[4] Meijer was also working on his thesis about Isaac da Costa's conversion to Christianity. On 2 October 1941, he received his doctorate.[5] From 1941 until 1943, he taught history at the Joods Lyceum [nl].[2] One of his students was Anne Frank.[6] On 14 February 1943, his first child Ischa was born.[7]

In June 1943, Meijer and his family were sent to Westerbork transit camp.[4] On 15 February 1944, they were moved to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. When British troops neared the camp, they were put on the so-called Lost Train, trains heading East with no clear destination. The train was captured by the Red Army in Tröbitz[8] on 23 April 1945.[9] Meijer and family managed to survive the war.[2]

In 1946, his thesis was reprinted as Isaac da Costa's weg naar het Christendom[10] As an author, he started to focus on the pre-war Jewish history in the Netherlands, and was known for his sharp criticisms.[11] In 1951, Meijer taught history at the University of Amsterdam.[2]

The Cold War worried Meijer, and in 1953, he accepted an offer to become rabbi in Paramaribo, Suriname.[12] He did not stay long, and returned to the Netherlands in 1955.[2]

In 1967, Meijer started to publish poetry in Kentering using the pseudonym Saul van Messel. Poetry started to become a means of escape from his Jewish history.[1] From the 1970s onwards, he wrote many poems in Dutch, Gronings Low Saxon and Hebrew.[13] In 1984, he was awarded the Literaire pries [nl] for his Gronings-language volume of poetry Vrouger of loater (1969).[1]

Meijer died on 9 July 1993 in Heemstede, at the age of 80.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d G.J. van Bork & P.J. Verkruijsse (1985). De Nederlandse en Vlaamse auteurs (in Dutch). Weesp: De Haan. ISBN 9022845656.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Jaap Meijer". Joodse Bibliotheek (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Cornelissen 2000, p. 40.
  4. ^ a b c Anet Bleich (23 November 2007). "Botsing tussen twee gulzige mannen". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b Cornelissen 2000, p. 39.
  6. ^ Cornelissen 2000, p. 45.
  7. ^ "Ischa Meijer". Gedichten.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  8. ^ Hans Renders (20 January 2008). "Flirtgedrag in het kamp". Historisch Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  9. ^ ""Verlorener Zug" von Tröbitz bleibt unvergessen". City of Berlin (in German). Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. ^ Isaac da Costa's weg naar het Christendom : bijdrage tot de geschiedenis der joodsche problematiek in Nederland. OCLC 15348519. Retrieved 14 March 2021 – via World Cat.
  11. ^ Jan Dirk Snel. "Eigenzinnige Jaap Meijer wilde tegendeel zijn van Loe de Jong". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  12. ^ Cornelissen 2000, p. 47.
  13. ^ "Saul van Messel". Gedichten.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 March 2021.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

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