biography
pronunciation:
[gayl]
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1887–1966)
|
| biography:
| Historian and patriot, born in Dordrecht, W Netherlands. He studied Dutch language and literature at Leyden and in Italy, then served as London correspondent of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant (1913–19). He was appointed the first professor of Dutch studies at London University (1919–36) and professor of modern history at Utrecht (1936–58). During World War 2, he was imprisoned in Buchenwald (1940–1), then interned in The Netherlands until 1944. From 1946 he was, in addition to his post at Utrecht University, emeritus professor at the Economische Hoogeschool at Rotterdam. His works, of which the most important is Geschiedenis van der Nederlandse Stam (1930–7, trans History of the Dutch People, 1932) reflect his support for the Flemish Movement and a strong desire to see north and south reunited within a ‘Greater Netherlands’. He had firm views about the nature of the historian's task, arguing against the deterministic position of such writers as Toynbee and Romein. Other works include Oranje en Stuart (1939), Napoleon, voor en tegen (1946), and De Patriottenbeweging, 1748-1787 (1947). |
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