Abstract
L.E.J. (Bertus) Brouwer was born in 1881 in Overschie, now a part of Rotterdam. His father, a headmaster, moved to the town Medemblik in North Holland and subsequently to Haarlem. Bertus was mostly taught at home (his mother was a teacher too), and entered high school at Hoorn at the age of 9. After moving to Haarlem, he exchanged after two years the high school for the gymnasium (the Latin school). In 1897 he enrolled in mathematics, physics and astronomy at the Amsterdam University. The most prominent of his teachers was Korteweg, who had provided the mathematics for the theories of Van der Waals. At the student corporation Brouwer met Adama van Scheltema, later the leading socialist poet, who became his life long friend. Already as a gymnasium student Brouwer moved in artistic circles, a habit he kept up in later life.
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Notes
- 1.
We will indulge in some ‘abuse of language’ by using ‘The Netherlands’ and ‘Holland’ as synonyms. This is definitely incorrect from the standpoint of geography. Holland is the collective name of the two provinces North- and South-Holland. There used to be a county Holland under the Count of Holland, but under the Dutch republic it became a province like any other. The concentration of trade and government, however, lent Holland so much prominence, that one often used ‘Holland’ instead of ‘The United Republic’. In spite of the efforts of the later kings of The Netherlands, the habit of using ‘Holland’ as a pars pro toto has persisted. The phenomenon is not uncommon, think of ‘England’ and ‘United Kingdom’ for example. The reader is warned.
- 2.
Nederland hoog op te stuwen in de vaart der volkeren.
- 3.
The spelling of names is not uniform in the registers of older archives, e.g. ‘Hendrika’ is also spelt as ‘Henderika’, ‘Hendrica’, ‘Henderica’.
- 4.
Told by Louise Peijpers, the daughter from the first marriage of Bertus’s wife. Although Louise was no witness to the earlier events of Brouwer’s life, she had a perfect memory for the family folklore. A large part of the information on Brouwer’s early years is based on oral communications of Louise Peijpers.
- 5.
Als hij maar kan leren.
- 6.
The main fraternity of the University of Amsterdam.
- 7.
The reader should note that this was rather exceptional; most Dutchmen hardly ever crossed the borders of their country, let alone at the age of 12! One should, however, bear in mind that Bertus was a precocious child, who was at the age of twelve already in the third grade of the high school (HBS). Foreign travel later became a second nature to Bertus (and his brothers).
- 8.
The Dutch educational system knew one elementary school and a number of secondary ones. The elementary school (preceded by the kleuterschool (kindergarten)) was called the lagere school, age 6–12; the secondary general education schools were MULO (or ULO), literally (Meer) Uitgebreide Lagere Onderwijs ((further) extended elementary education), HBS, Hogere Burgerschool (higher public school) and gymnasium. The MULO took 3 or 4 years, the HBS 5 years (there was also a shorter, three year variant) and the gymnasium 6 years. The gymnasium was in a sense the direct descendent of the old grammar or Latin school, and the HBS was the product of the new ideas of the mid nineteenth century. The gymnasium was the training ground for future academics, whereas the HBS was intended to provide young citizens with the necessary skills for trade and industry. The MULO was a simplified version of the HBS.
- 9.
Bertus was registered on the first of September 1890.
- 10.
The railway line Hoorn–Medemblik is nowadays operated by volunteers. In the Summer season one can make the trip in historic carriages drawn by an equally historic locomotive.
- 11.
A wooded park in Haarlem.
- 12.
The Poutsma family produced a number of scholars and artists, among whom was Geesje Poutsma, an older sister of Bertus’s mother, who gave singing lessons and was a concert singer herself. See also Stuurman and Krijgsman (1995).
- 13.
Oral communication Mrs. F.J. Heyting-van Anrooy.
- 14.
Oral communication J. Lambek.
- 15.
E.g. Korteweg, Van ’t Hoff, Lorentz, Kamerling Onnes, Dubois, Zeeman, Zernike.
- 16.
This was the first Dutch King of the House of Orange, to whom the crown was offered after the fall of Napoleon. To outsiders, the history of The Netherlands may seem somewhat confusing. Until the French revolution the Princes of Orange were Governors of the Dutch Republic. Napoleon made his brother Louis Napoleon King of Holland; the Orange monarchy was introduced after Napoleon’s fall. The famous William III was King of England, but Governor of The Netherlands.
- 17.
Bewegend Portret, Wiessing (1960), p. 142.
- 18.
See p. 59.
- 19.
The family name is ‘Adama van Scheltema’, a typically Friesian name. The suffix ‘a’ usually indicates Friesian descent. We shall stick to the abbreviated version ‘Scheltema’.
- 20.
Cf. van Dalen (1984).
- 21.
Bewegend Portret, Wiessing (1960).
- 22.
The traditional name for a student who seldom frequents the fraternity events.
- 23.
The one-time state religion.
- 24.
The order of the answers is Brouwer’s.
- 25.
under, i.e. is the Urheber of my life, [Brouwer’s footnote].
- 26.
eigen dienst.
- 27.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 14 August 1898.
- 28.
There is no coronation of the Kings and Queens of the Netherlands, but an inauguration. It takes place in the New Church on the Dam.
- 29.
Louise told that Brouwer used to recall the occasion with pleasure.
- 30.
Wiessing (1960), p. 142.
- 31.
Ter Herdenking van C.S. Adama van Scheltema (In Memory of C.S. Adama van Scheltema). Note the reference to Homer, cf. Wiessing (1960), p. 106, apparently the members of the fraternity practised the ‘handshake’ that is referred to in the Iliad and the Odyssey by ‘he grows him into the hand’.
- 32.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 20 September 1898, written in the barracks, one day before going on leave.
- 33.
The academic study in Holland basically consisted of two parts. The first was concluded by the ‘candidaats’ examination and the second by the doctoraal examination. These examinations are roughly comparable to the BSc. and MSc. The titles connected to those examinations were candidaat and ‘doctorandus’ (abbreviated as ‘drs.’ in titles). Some faculties had an extra examination at the end of the first year, the so-called propaedeutic examination—endearingly called ‘propjes’. The time schedule was flexible. Three years for each examination was the average, but clever students could compress the period somewhat. A doctorandus had the legal right to present a dissertation to the faculty, and after a successful public defence he was awarded the title of ‘doctor’. A ‘candidaat’ could enter the teaching profession, but the diploma was basically considered an intermediate stage on the way to the final doctoral diploma. In the well-stratified society before the Second World War each university diploma entitled its owner to a traditional civil title, a candidaat would (or rather could) be addressed as Weledelgeboren Heer, a doctorandus as Weledelgeleerde Heer and a doctor as Weledelzeergeleerde Heer. A professor was simply Hooggeleerde Heer. A female student/scholar had a similar title with ‘Mevrouw’ or Vrouwe instead of Heer.
- 34.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 29 July 1902.
- 35.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 4 September 1902.
- 36.
Novel by Frederik van Eeden, Van de koele meeren des doods.
- 37.
Winkler was professor in diseases of the mind and psychiatry, Werthem Salomonson held an extraordinary chair in diseases of the mind.
- 38.
Scheltema to Brouwer, 17 January 1903.
- 39.
Sociaal Democratische Arbeiders Partij.
- 40.
Das Wesen der menschlichen Kopfarbeit. Streifzüge eines Sozialisten in das Gebiet der Erkenntnis Theorie.
- 41.
Bonger (1929).
- 42.
A literary movement in Holland that rebelled against the traditional school of the nineteenth century.
- 43.
Ph. Kohnstamm was a student of Van der Waals. He started his career in physics and switched eventually to pedagogy. He held chairs in Utrecht and Amsterdam.
- 44.
Brouwer to Scheltema 11 August 1908. There may actually have been more to the rejection of Brouwer’s review than meets the eye, see p. 104.
- 45.
A disciple of the Leiden philosopher Bolland.
- 46.
A literary magazine. The review was posthumously published in Delvigne (1985).
- 47.
The ‘Movement of 80’ was a Dutch literary movement which introduced in the Netherlands the concepts and styles of the leading European artistic circles. It imported successful innovations such as naturalism, impressionism and the like. The movement of ’80 dominated the Dutch literature far into the twentieth century. Brouwer compared this movement with the political-economical revolutionary ideas of 1848. He saw Scheltema as one of the first literary artists escaping the influence of ’80.
- 48.
The old heart of industrial North-Holland, reputed for its beautiful old Dutch houses, still to be seen in the local outdoor museum.
- 49.
Society is a joke.
- 50.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 18 January 1904.
- 51.
‘liberal’ has to be understood in the classical sense of the nineteenth century, laissez faire, limited government interference. It was neither conservative nor Marxist.
- 52.
There was a certain measure of anti-democratic feeling in the air at the time. The influential philosopher Bolland, for example, crusaded against democracy. It is possible that Brouwer also flirted with these ideas. Given the context of the letter, we may be sure that Brouwer referred to the Social Democrats.
- 53.
Brouwer to Korteweg 22 September 1909.
- 54.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 20 September 1898.
- 55.
Brouwer to Scheltema 15 November 1903.
- 56.
My boldface.
- 57.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 18 January 1904.
- 58.
Scheltema to Brouwer, 29 December 1902.
- 59.
Scheltema to Brouwer, 2 May 1903.
- 60.
Bashkirtseff (1888).
- 61.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 18 January 1904. ‘Bachkirtoff’ is Brouwer’s spelling. Scheltema misspelt the name.
- 62.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 25 February 1916.
- 63.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 23 May 1903.
- 64.
Scheltema to Wiessing, 21 July 1903.
- 65.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 9 August 1903.
- 66.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 26 August 1903.
- 67.
Brouwer to Scheltema, 15 November 1903.
- 68.
Scheltema to Brouwer, July 1901.
- 69.
See p. 243.
- 70.
Scheltema to Brouwer, 6 August 1907.
References
Bashkirtseff, M.: Journal de Marie Bashkirtseff. Charpentier et Cie, Paris (1888)
Bonger, W.A.: Scheltema en het Socialisme (persoonlijke herinneringen). In: Ter herdenking van C.S. Adama van Scheltema, pp. 46–68. Querido, Amsterdam (1929)
Delvigne, R.: L.E.J. Brouwer over C.S. Adama van Scheltema. Juffr. Ida 11, 41–44 (1985)
Stuurman, F., Krijgsman, H.: Family Business. On Dictionary Projects of H. Poutsma (1856–1937) and L.E.J. Brouwer (1881–1966). Stichting Neerlandistiek, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam (1995)
van Dalen, D. (ed.): Droeve snaar, vriend van mij. De correspondentie tussen Brouwer en Adama van Scheltema. De Arbeiderspers, Amsterdam (1984)
Wiessing, H.: Bewegend Portret. Moussault, Amsterdam (1960)
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van Dalen, D. (2013). Child and Student. In: L.E.J. Brouwer – Topologist, Intuitionist, Philosopher. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4616-2_1
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