100 Notable alumni of
Utrecht University
Updated:
Utrecht University is 215th in the world, 76th in Europe, and 3rd in the Netherlands by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from Utrecht University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. 2 individuals affiliated with Utrecht University won Nobel Prizes in Physics and Physiology or Medicine.
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René Descartes
- Occupations
- philosophermusic theoristastronomerphysicistmechanical automaton engineer
- Biography
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René Descartes was a French philosopher, scientist, logician, and mathematician, widely considered a seminal figure in the emergence of modern philosophy and science during Renaissance era. Mathematics was paramount to his method of inquiry, and he connected the previously separate fields of geometry and algebra into analytic geometry.
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Wilhelm Röntgen
- Occupations
- researcherengineerphysicistprofessor
- Biography
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Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was a German experimental physicist who produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays (known as Röntgen rays in many languages). In 1901, Röntgen became the first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays subsequently named after him." The element roentgenium is named in his honor.
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William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham was a British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him "Chatham" or "Pitt the Elder" to distinguish him from his son William Pitt the Younger, who also served as prime minister. Pitt was also known as "the Great Commoner" because of his long-standing refusal to accept a title until 1766.
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Femke Halsema
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- Studied social science
- Occupations
- criminologistcolumnistmayorwritersociologist
- Biography
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Femke Halsema is a Dutch politician and filmmaker serving as Mayor of Amsterdam since 2018. She is the first woman to hold the position on a non-interim basis. She previously was a member of the House of Representatives for the leftist green party, GroenLinks from 1998 to 2011, and served as the party's parliamentary leader from 2002 to 2010.
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Princess Irene of the Netherlands
- Occupations
- interpreteraristocrat
- Biography
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Princess Irene of the Netherlands is the second child of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard.
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Rutger Bregman
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- In 2007 graduated with bachelor's degree in history
- Occupations
- historianjournalistthinkerwriter
- Biography
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Rutger Christiaan Bregman is a Dutch historian and author.
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Bernardo Arévalo de León
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in sociology and social anthropology
- Occupations
- writerdiplomatsociologistpolitician
- Biography
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César Bernardo Arévalo de León is a Guatemalan diplomat, sociologist, writer, and politician serving as the 52nd and current president of Guatemala since 2024. A member and co-founder of the Semilla party, he previously served as a deputy in the Congress of Guatemala from 2020 to 2024, as ambassador to Spain from 1995 to 1996 and as deputy minister of foreign affairs from 1994 to 1995.
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Willem Einthoven
- Occupations
- physicianinventorphysiologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Willem Einthoven was a Dutch medical doctor and physiologist. He invented the first practical electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG) in 1895 and received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1924 for it ("for the discovery of the mechanism of the electrocardiogram").
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Maarten van Rossem
- Occupations
- historiantelevision presenteruniversity teacherwriter
- Biography
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Maarten van Rossem is a Dutch historian, presenter, and social commentator. He is a professor emeritus of modern history at Utrecht University. Van Rossem specializes in the history and politics of the United States. As an expert on America, he is a frequent guest on television talk shows. His public career began when he was invited to comment on the 1984 U.S. vice-presidential elections. He regularly appears on TV and gives frequent public lectures.
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Jan Terlouw
- Occupations
- screenwriterpoliticianastrophysicistnuclear physicistchildren's writer
- Biography
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Jan Cornelis Terlouw was a Dutch politician, physicist and author. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66) party, he served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1981 to 1982 under Prime Minister Dries van Agt.
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Frans de Waal
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- In 1977 graduated with Doctor of Science in biology
- Occupations
- photographerresearcheruniversity teacherprimatologistauthor
- Biography
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Franciscus Bernardus Maria de Waal was a Dutch-American primatologist and ethologist. He was the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Primate Behavior in the Department of Psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, director of the Living Links Center at the Emory National Primate Research Center, and author of numerous books including Chimpanzee Politics (1982) and Our Inner Ape (2005). His research centered on primate social behavior, including conflict resolution, cooperation, inequity aversion, and food-sharing. He was a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff
- Occupations
- geologiststereochemistuniversity teacherengineerphysicist
- Biography
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Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff Jr. was a Dutch physical chemist. A highly influential theoretical chemist, in 1901 Van 't Hoff won the first the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "[for his] discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions". His pioneering work helped found the modern theory of chemical affinity, chemical equilibrium, chemical kinetics, and chemical thermodynamics. In his 1874 pamphlet, Van 't Hoff formulated the theory of the tetrahedral carbon atom and laid the foundations of stereochemistry. In 1875, he predicted the correct structures of allenes and cumulenes as well as their axial chirality. He is also widely considered one of the founders of physical chemistry as the discipline is known today.
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James Boswell
- Occupations
- writerlawyerbiographerdiarist
- Biography
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James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck, was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of the English writer Samuel Johnson, Life of Samuel Johnson, which is commonly said to be the greatest biography written in the English language. A great mass of Boswell's diaries, letters, and private papers were recovered from the 1920s to the 1950s, and their publication by Yale University has transformed his reputation.
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Gerard 't Hooft
- Occupations
- university teacherphysicisttheoretical physicistnon-fiction writerpedagogue
- Biography
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Gerardus "Gerard" 't Hooft is a Dutch theoretical physicist and professor emeritus at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He shared the 1999 Nobel Prize in Physics with his thesis advisor Martinus J. G. Veltman "for elucidating the quantum structure of electroweak interactions."
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Daniel François Malan
- Occupations
- politicianChristian minister
- Biography
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Daniël François Malan PC was a South African politician who served as the fourth prime minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. The National Party implemented the system of apartheid, which enforced racial segregation laws, during his tenure as prime minister.
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Herman van der Zandt
- Occupations
- journalisttelevision presenter
- Biography
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Herman van der Zandt is a Dutch journalist, newsreader, and television presenter.
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Robbert Dijkgraaf
- Occupations
- columnisttheoretical physicistwriteruniversity teachermathematician
- Biography
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Robertus Henricus "Robbert" Dijkgraaf, ForMemRS HonFRSE is a Dutch theoretical physicist, mathematician and string theorist and former politician. He served as the Minister of Education, Culture and Science in the Netherlands from 2022 until 2024. From July 2012 until his inauguration as a minister, he had been the director and Leon Levy professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and a tenured professor at the University of Amsterdam. As of January 2025, Robbert is the president-elect of the International Science Council.
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Hans Hermann von Katte
- Occupations
- military personnelsoldier
- Biography
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Hans Hermann von Katte was a Lieutenant of the Prussian Army, and a friend, tutor and possible lover of the future King Frederick II of Prussia, who was at the time the Crown Prince. Katte was executed by Frederick's father, the Prussian King Frederick William I, when Frederick plotted to escape from Prussia to Britain. It was possible that Frederick intended to defect to the service of the British King George II (his maternal uncle) and possibly return to Prussia to depose his father.
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Jan Pol
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- In 1970 graduated with Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in veterinary medicine
- Occupations
- veterinarian
- Biography
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Jan-Harm Pol is a Dutch-American veterinarian who starred on the reality television show The Incredible Dr. Pol on Nat Geo Wild.
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Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, KG, PC, styled as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was a British politician from the Spencer family. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1714–1717), Lord Privy Seal (1715–1716), Lord President of the Council (1718–1719) and First Lord of the Treasury (1718–1721). He is an ancestor of both Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, and through her, the current heir to the British throne, William, Prince of Wales.
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Bogusław Radziwiłł
- Occupations
- civil servantaristocratmilitary officerart collector
- Biography
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Bogusław Radziwiłł was a Polish princely magnate and a member of the Polish-Lithuanian szlachta, or nobility. He was of the Radziwiłł magnate family. By birth he was an Imperial Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. He was a descendant of the famous knight, Zawisza the Black. Following the death of Janusz Radziwiłł, he briefly served as Grand Hetman of Swedish Lithuania.
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Andrew Murray
- Occupations
- Christian ministermissionarywriter
- Biography
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Andrew Murray was a South African writer, teacher and Christian pastor. Murray considered missions to be "the chief end of the church".
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Douglas Rushkoff
- Occupations
- journalistwriter
- Biography
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Douglas Mark Rushkoff is an American media theorist, writer, professor, columnist, lecturer, graphic novelist, documentarian and podcaster. He is best known for his association with the early cyberpunk culture, his advocacy of open source solutions to social problems, his critique of technocapitalism, and his call to retrieve our humanity in a digital age.
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Robert van Gulik
- Occupations
- illustratordiplomatwriterprose writerlinguist
- Biography
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Robert Hans van Gulik was a Dutch orientalist, diplomat, musician (of the guqin), and writer, best known for the Judge Dee historical mysteries, the protagonist of which he borrowed from the 18th-century Chinese detective novel Dee Goong An.
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Cora van Nieuwenhuizen
- Occupations
- geographerpolitician
- Biography
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Cornelia "Cora" van Nieuwenhuizen-Wijbenga is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). She served as Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Third Rutte cabinet from 2017 to 2021, and briefly as Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (ad interim) in 2021.
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Lulzim Basha
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Lulzim Basha is an Albanian politician and lawyer who served as chairman of the Democratic Party of Albania and as the Leader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2022. He is the founder and leader of the political party Euroatlantic Democrats.
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Bakermat
- Occupations
- record producerdisc jockeycomposer
- Biography
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Lodewijk Fluttert, best known by his stage name Bakermat, is a Dutch DJ and music producer. His music is characterised by a mix of dance, soul, jazz, funk, gospel, and pop.
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Chriet Titulaer
- Occupations
- television presenterwriterastronomer
- Biography
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Chriet Titulaer was a Dutch astronomer, television presenter and popular science and technology writer.
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Tommy Wieringa
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- Studied journalism
- Occupations
- journalistwriter
- Biography
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Tommy Wieringa is a Dutch writer. He received the Ferdinand Bordewijk Prize in 2006 for his novel Joe Speedboot (2005), and the Libris Prize in 2013 for the novel Dit zijn de namen (2012). In 2018 he won the Bookspot Literatuurprijs for his novel De heilige Rita (The Blessed Rita). His novel The Death of Murat Idrissi, translated by Sam Garrett from Dutch, was nominated for the International Booker Prize in 2019.
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Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau-Vollenhoven
- Occupations
- marketerwatercoloristracing automobile driver
- Biography
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Prince Pieter-Christiaan Michiel of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, is the third son of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven.
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Wouter Koolmees
- Occupations
- politicianeconomist
- Biography
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Wouter Koolmees is a Dutch economist and politician and of the Democrats 66 (D66) party who served as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Third Rutte cabinet from 2017 to 2022. He also served as second Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2019 to 2020 during Kajsa Ollongren's medical leave of absence. He is also the CEO of Nederlandse Spoorwegen.
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Lidewij de Vos
- Occupations
- writerbiochemistviolinistpolitician
- Biography
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Lidewij Guinevère de Vos is a Dutch politician of the far-right Forum for Democracy (FvD).
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Angela de Jong
- Occupations
- journalistcolumnist
- Biography
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Angela de Jong is a Dutch journalist, television critic and columnist. She is known for her columns for the newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.
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Nicholas Barbon
- Occupations
- master builderpoliticianarchitectural theoreticianeconomistphysician
- Biography
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Nicholas Barbon was an English economist, physician, and financial speculator. Historians of mercantilism consider him to be one of the first proponents of the free market.
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Femke Merel van Kooten-Arissen
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Femke Merel van Kooten-Arissen is a Dutch politician and former member of the House of Representatives.
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Anna Maria van Schurman
- Occupations
- poetwriterphilosopherprintmakercalligrapher
- Biography
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Anna Maria van Schurman was a Dutch painter, engraver, poet, classical scholar, philosopher, and feminist writer who is best known for her exceptional learning and her defence of female education. She was a highly educated woman, who excelled in art, music, and literature, and became a polyglot proficient in fourteen languages, including Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Aramaic, and Ethiopic, as well as various contemporary European languages. She was the first woman to study, unofficially, at a Dutch university.
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Ed Nijpels
- Occupations
- politicianclimate activist
- Biography
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Eduardus Hermannus Theresia Maria Nijpels is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and nonprofit director.
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Hanke Bruins Slot
- Occupations
- military officerpoliticianfield hockey player
- Biography
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Hanke Gerdina Johannette Bruins Slot is a Dutch politician and military veteran who served as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations from 2022 to 2023 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2023 until 2024. She is a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).
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Nicolaas Bloembergen
- Occupations
- university teachertheoretical physicistphysicist
- Biography
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Nicolaas Bloembergen was a Dutch-American physicist and Nobel laureate, recognized for his work in developing driving principles behind nonlinear optics for laser spectroscopy. During his career, he was a professor at Harvard University and later at the University of Arizona and at Leiden University in 1973 (as Lorentz Professor).
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Mirjam Bikker
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- In 2008 studied administrative law and constitutional law
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Mirjam Hannah Bikker is a Dutch politician who has served as the leader of the Christian Union since January 2023. She is also a member of the House of Representatives since 2021. She was previously elected to the municipal council of Utrecht in 2006 and Senate in 2015.
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Aarnoud van Heemstra
- Occupations
- juristaristocratpolitician
- Biography
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Aarnoud Jan Anne Aleid, Baron van Heemstra was a Dutch nobleman, jurist and politician. He served as mayor of Arnhem between 1910 and 1920, and Governor-General of Suriname from 1921 until 1928. Van Heemstra was the grandfather of Audrey Hepburn.
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Pim van Lommel
- Occupations
- physiciancardiologistwriter
- Biography
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Pim van Lommel is a Dutch cardiologist, author, and researcher associated with studies of near-death experiences.
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Erik Verlinde
- Occupations
- university teachertheoretical physicistphysicist
- Biography
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Erik Peter Verlinde is a Dutch theoretical physicist and string theorist. He is the identical twin brother of physicist Herman Verlinde. The Verlinde formula, which is important in conformal field theory and topological field theory, is named after him. His research deals with string theory, gravity, black holes and cosmology. Currently, he works at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of Amsterdam.
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Christiaan Eijkman
- Occupations
- physicianphysiologistbiochemistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Christiaan Eijkman was a Dutch physician and professor of physiology whose demonstration that beriberi is caused by poor diet led to the discovery of antineuritic vitamins (thiamine). Together with Sir Frederick Hopkins, he received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1929 for the discovery of vitamins.
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Ab Osterhaus
- Occupations
- physicianvirologistveterinarianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Albertus Dominicus Marcellinus Erasmus "Ab" Osterhaus is a leading Dutch virologist and influenza expert. An Emeritus Professor of Virology at Erasmus University Rotterdam since 1993, Osterhaus is known throughout the world for his work on SARS and H5N1, the pathogen that causes avian influenza.
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Marion Koopmans
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- 1976-1976 graduated with candidate
- 1979-1979 graduated with doctorate
- 1983-1983 graduated with Doctor of Medicine
- Occupations
- university teachervirologist
- Biography
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Maria Petronella Gerarda Koopmans is a Dutch virologist who is Head of the Erasmus MC Department of Viroscience. Her research considers emerging infectious diseases, noroviruses and veterinary medicine. In 2018 she was awarded the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) Stevin Prize. She serves on the scientific advisory group of the World Health Organization.
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Tjalling Koopmans
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- Studied in 1927-1932
- Occupations
- economistmathematicianphysicist
- Biography
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Tjalling Charles Koopmans was a Dutch-American mathematician and economist. He was the joint winner with Leonid Kantorovich of the 1975 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on the theory of the optimum allocation of resources. Koopmans showed that on the basis of certain efficiency criteria, it is possible to make important deductions concerning optimum price systems.
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Martinus J. G. Veltman
- Occupations
- university teachertheoretical physicistphysicist
- Biography
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Martinus Justinus Godefriedus "Tini" Veltman was a Dutch theoretical physicist. He shared the 1999 Nobel Prize in Physics with his former PhD student Gerardus 't Hooft for their work on particle theory.
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Dirk Jan de Geer
- Occupations
- writerlawyerjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Jonkheer Dirk Jan de Geer was a Dutch politician of the Christian Historical Union. He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 8 March 1926 until 10 August 1929, and from 10 August 1939 until 3 September 1940.
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Marcel van Dam
- Occupations
- television presentercolumnistsociologistpresentertelevision producer
- Biography
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Marcel Parcival Arthur van Dam is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and journalist.
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Bernard Victor Aloysius Röling
- Occupations
- juristlawyerjudgeuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Bernard Victor Aloysius "Bert" Röling was a Dutch jurist and founding father of polemology in the Netherlands. Between 1946 and 1948 he acted as the Dutch representative for the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.
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Sabina Frederic
- Occupations
- teacheranthropologistpolitician
- Biography
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Sabina Andrea Frederic is an Argentine social anthropologist, university professor and politician. A specialist on military and security personnel, she was Argentina's Minister of Security from 2019 to 2021, in the cabinet of President Alberto Fernández.
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Florence Eshalomi
- Occupations
- politiciancouncil member
- Biography
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Florence Dauta Eshalomi is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, formerly Vauxhall, since 2019. A Member of Labour Co-op, she was Member of the London Assembly (AM) for Lambeth and Southwark from 2016 to 2021.
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Linda Wagenmakers
- Occupations
- singeractorstage actor
- Biography
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Linda Wagenmakers is a Dutch singer. She started her career at 21 playing Kim in the Dutch version of the musical Miss Saigon. She played in the RTL 4 drama series Westenwind, for which she also recorded the song "Laat me vrij om te gaan". Wagenmakers voiced the Dutch version of Mulan in the Disney animation movie. And was part of many television shows and events. She was part of the original cast of Rocky over the rainbow playing Maggs and in later versions Dorothy. She was part of Musicals in Ahoy in 2001 singing the role of Kim from Miss Saigon as well as Eponine from Les Miserables. She also represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 in Stockholm, with the song "No Goodbyes" involving a huge black and white dress designed by Jan Aarntzen She featured in a gospel national theater tour in The Spirit of Joy!. She also played the lead role in the Dolly Dots musical Love me just a little bit more as Lisa, an awkward high school girl with a great voice caught in teenage drama. She released a Gospel Album called Full Circle. She played Sis in the musical Shhh...it happens. She played Alex in The Witches of Eastwick working alongside of April Darby and Joke de Kruijf. She played the witch Caramella at the national tour of Hansel and Gretel for Van Hoorne productions and as the Lady of the Lake in the Monty Python musical Spamalot. She returned to the stage as Anastasia in the comedy Fifty shades, the parody for Senf productions. She also was the voice of Tiana, the first African-American Disney Princess for the animated movie The Princess and the Frog Alongside her work on stage she started to devote time on coaching other artists vocally and mentally for Vocal Center, and finished the competition in 13th place after the voting.
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Regnier de Graaf
- Occupations
- gynecologistanatomistphysiologistphysiciannaturalist
- Biography
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Regnier de Graaf, original Dutch spelling Reinier de Graaf, or Latinized Reijnerus de Graeff (30 July 1641 – 17 August 1673), was a Dutch physician, physiologist and anatomist who made key discoveries in reproductive biology. He specialized in iatrochemistry and iatrogenesis, and was the first to develop a syringe to inject dye into human reproductive organs so that he could understand their structure and function.
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Erik Meijer
- Occupations
- computer scientist
- Biography
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Erik Meijer is a Dutch computer scientist and entrepreneur. From 2000 to early 2013, he was a software architect for Microsoft where he headed the Cloud Programmability Team. He then founded Applied Duality Inc. in 2013. Before that, he was an associate professor at Utrecht University. From 2015 to 2024, he was a Senior Director of Engineering at Facebook (now Meta) and subsequently stated, after leaving, that there is "no advantage to be inside a large corp if you want to build cool stuff on top of LLMs (Large Language Models)."
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Abraham Pais
- Occupations
- physicisthistorian of scienceuniversity teachernuclear physicist
- Biography
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Abraham Pais was a Dutch-American physicist and science historian. Pais earned his Ph.D. from University of Utrecht just prior to a Nazi ban on Jewish participation in Dutch universities during World War II. When the Nazis began the forced relocation of Dutch Jews, he went into hiding, but was later arrested and saved only by the end of the war. He then served as an assistant to Niels Bohr in Denmark and was later a colleague of Albert Einstein at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. His Subtle is the Lord, considered by many to be the definitive biography of Einstein, won the Science Writing Award. He followed it with Inwaard Bound: Of Matter and Forces in the Physical World, a history of modern physics, Niels Bohr's Times: In Physics, Philosophy, and Polity and Einstein Lived Here: Essays for the Layman. He was a physics professor at Rockefeller University until his retirement. He won the 1995 Lewis Thomas Prize for science writing.
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Karl III Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach
- Occupations
- margrave
- Biography
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Charles III William was Margrave of Baden-Durlach between 1709 and 1738. He was the son of Margrave Frederick Magnus of Baden-Durlach and Augusta Maria of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. In 1715, he established Karlsruhe (Charles' repose), where he built his residence. Karlsruhe has since grown to a large city. With the consolidation of public finances and the creation of a reliable administration, he laid the foundations for the reform policies of his grandson, Charles Frederick.
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Jan Śniadecki
- Occupations
- geographerastronomeruniversity teachermathematicianphilosopher
- Biography
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Jan Śniadecki was a Polish mathematician, philosopher, and astronomer at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.
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Feike Sijbesma
- Occupations
- business executive
- Biography
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Feike Sijbesma is a Dutch business executive who was CEO and chairman of the managing board of DSM from 2007 until 2020. And in 2022, he was nominated as honorary chairman. He helped the Dutch government from March to September 2020 as special voluntary corona envoy, especially focused on testing policy and availability. From mid 2020, Sijbesma focuses on several board positions (among others chairman of Philips and Unilever) and the African malnutrition issue and climate (adaptation).
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Elisabeth Bik
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- bloggerscientific integrity consultantmicrobiologistmolecular biologist
- Biography
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Elisabeth Margaretha Harbers-Bik is a Dutch microbiologist and scientific integrity consultant. Bik is known for her work detecting photo manipulation in scientific publications, and identifying over 4,000 potential cases of improper research conduct. Bik is the founder of Microbiome Digest, a blog with daily updates on microbiome research, and the Science Integrity Digest blog.
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Benjamin Moser
- Occupations
- linguistbiographerwritertranslatoreditor
- Biography
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Benjamin Moser is an American writer and translator. He received the Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for his biography of Susan Sontag, titled Sontag: Her Life and Work.
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Max Drenth
- Occupations
- columnistphilosopherwriter
- Biography
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Maxim Februari, pseudonym of Maximiliaan Drenth (born 23 February 1963), is a Dutch writer, philosopher and columnist.
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Marga Klompé
- Occupations
- politicianresistance fighter
- Biography
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Margaretha Albertina Maria "Marga" Klompé was a Dutch politician of the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and chemist. She was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 17 July 1971.
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C. H. D. Buys Ballot
- Occupations
- chemistcartographerphysicistuniversity teachermeteorologist
- Biography
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Christophorus Henricus Diedericus Buys Ballot was a Dutch chemist and meteorologist who is the namesake of Buys Ballot's law. He was the first president of the International Meteorological Organization, the organization that would become the World Meteorological Organization.
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János Apáczai Csere
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- Studied in 1649
- Occupations
- theologianpedagoguephilosopher
- Biography
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János Apáczai Csere was a Hungarian polyglot, pedagogist, philosopher and theologian, famous for his work The Hungarian Encyclopedia, the first textbook to be written in Hungarian. The Encyclopædia Britannica calls him "the leading Protestant scholar and writer" of 17th-century Hungary.
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Martinus Nijhoff
- Occupations
- literary criticwriterresistance fightertranslatorpoet
- Biography
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Martinus Nijhoff was a Dutch poet and essayist. He studied literature in Amsterdam and law in Utrecht. His debut was in 1916 with his volume De wandelaar ('The Wanderer'). He then gradually expanded his reputation by his unique style of poetry: not experimental, like Paul van Ostaijen, yet distinguished by the clarity of his language combined with mystical content. He was a literary craftsman who employed skillfully various verse forms from different literary periods.
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G.B.J. Hiltermann
- Years
- 1914-2000 (aged 86)
- Occupations
- historianjournalistradio personalitywriter
- Biography
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Gustavo Bernardo José Hiltermann was a Dutch journalist, jurist, political commentator, publisher and, since receiving his Ph.D. in 1972 with a dissertation on 'Eastern Europe and the German partition', also a historian.
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Jan van Hooff
- Occupations
- university teacherprimatologistphysiologist
- Biography
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Johan Antoon Reinier Alex Maria "Jan" van Hooff is a Dutch biologist best known for his research involving primates. He was professor of comparative physiology at Utrecht University from 1980 to 2001.
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Eppo Bruins
- Occupations
- physicistpolitician
- Biography
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Eppo Egbert Willem Bruins is a Dutch politician and physicist. He served as Minister of Education, Culture and Science in the Schoof cabinet between July 2024 and August 2025 on behalf of New Social Contract (NSC). He was a member of the House of Representatives for the Christian Union (CU) from 2015 to 2021.
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Marion Bloem
- Occupations
- film directorgraphic artistactorscreenwriterdraftsperson
- Biography
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Marion Bloem is a Dutch writer and film maker of Indo (mixed Dutch and Indonesian) descent, best known as author of the literary acclaimed book Geen gewoon Indisch meisje (No Ordinary Indo Girl) and director of the 2008 feature film Ver van familie (Far from Family).
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Touraj Atabaki
- Occupations
- historianwriteruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Touraj Atabaki is Emeritus Professor by special appointment of Social History of the Middle East and Central Asia at Leiden University. He was the Senior Research Fellow at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam. He also held the chair of the Social History of the Middle East and Central Asia at the School of Middle East Studies of Leiden University, and is past president of the Association for Iranian Studies and the European Society for Central Asian Studies.
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Jan de Quay
- Occupations
- writerpsychologistuniversity teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Jan Eduard de Quay was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and psychologist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 19 May 1959 until 24 July 1963.
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Mieke Bal
- Occupations
- university teacherart historianartistliterary theoristtheorist
- Biography
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Maria Gertrudis "Mieke" Bal is a Dutch cultural theorist, video artist, and Professor Emerita in Literary Theory at the University of Amsterdam. Previously, she was also Academy Professor of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and co-founder of the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam.
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Willem Aantjes
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- 1945-1952 studied Law of the Netherlands
- Occupations
- juristpoliticiantrade unionist
- Biography
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Willem "Wim" Aantjes was a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).
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Tessa de Loo
- Occupations
- writerscreenwriter
- Biography
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Tessa de Loo is the pen name of the Dutch novelist and short story writer Johanna Martina (Tineke) Duyvené de Wit.
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Hans Clevers
- Occupations
- physiciangeneticistmolecular biologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Johannes Carolus Clevers (born 27 March 1957) is a Dutch molecular geneticist, cell biologist and stem cell researcher. He became the Head of Pharma, Research and Early Development, and a member of the Corporate Executive Committee, of the Swiss healthcare company Roche in 2022. Previously, he headed a research group at the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research and at the Princess Máxima Center; he remained as an advisor and guest scientist or visiting researcher to both groups. He is also a Professor in Molecular Genetics at Utrecht University.
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Chimène van Oosterhout
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- In 2000 studied psychology
- Occupations
- television presenteractorannouncer
- Biography
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Chimène van Oosterhout is a Dutch TV personality, actress and singer. Since 1996, she has been presenting programs on Dutch television (TROS, Veronica TV, SBS6, Net5 and RTL 4). She was the winner of several Dutch celebrity TV competitions (including Peking Express VIPS in 2006 and Top Chef in 2009). Van Oosterhout is also an actress. She appeared in the longest-running Dutch soap opera Goede tijden, slechte tijden and had one of the leading parts in the American movie "X-Patriots" (2001) directed by Darien Sills-Evans. She owns her PR company (Van Oosterhout PR).
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Jacobus Kapteyn
- Occupations
- university teacherastronomerphysicist
- Biography
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Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn was a Dutch astronomer. He carried out extensive studies of the Milky Way. He found that the apparent movement of stars was not randomly distributed but had two preferential directions: the two star streams. This discovery was later reinterpreted as evidence for galactic rotation. Kapteyn also suggested that these stellar velocities could be used to find the amount of non-luminous matter in the galaxy, which his student, Jan Oort, measured in 1932, referring to it as "invisible matter".
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Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Charles Joseph Marie Ruijs de Beerenbrouck was a Dutch politician of the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP). He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 9 September 1918 until 4 August 1925 and from 10 August 1929 until 26 May 1933.
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Liesbeth Zegveld
- Occupations
- lawyeruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Liesbeth Zegveld is a Dutch lawyer, legal expert and professor.
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Godert van der Capellen
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Godert Alexander Gerard Philip, Baron van der Capellen was a Dutch statesman. He held several important posts under the Kingdom of Holland and the Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands, before he was appointed as one of the Commissioners-General of the Dutch East Indies. Later he was appointed Governor-General of that colony.
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Franciscus Donders
- Occupations
- physicianphysiologistophthalmologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Franciscus Cornelius Donders FRS FRSE (27 May 1818 – 24 March 1889) was a Dutch ophthalmologist. During his career, he was a professor of physiology in Utrecht, and was internationally regarded as an authority on eye diseases, directing the Netherlands Hospital for Eye Patients. Along with Graefe and Helmholtz, he was one of the primary founders of scientific ophthalmology.
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Sybilla Dekker
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sybilla Maria Dekker is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businesswoman. She was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 22 June 2018.
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Polly Higgins
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- Studied semiology
- Occupations
- barristerwriterenvironmentalist
- Biography
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Pauline Hélène "Polly" Higgins FRSGS was a Scottish barrister, author, and environmental lobbyist, described by Jonathan Watts in her obituary in The Guardian as, "one of the most inspiring figures in the green movement". She left her career as a lawyer to focus on environmental advocacy, and unsuccessfully lobbied the United Nations Law Commission to recognise ecocide as an international crime. Higgins wrote three books, including Eradicating Ecocide, and started the Earth Protectors group to raise funds to support the cause.
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Olivier Maingain
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Olivier D. A. Gh. Maingain is a Belgian francophone politician and former president of DéFI.
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Hermann Snellen
- Occupations
- university teacherophthalmologistphysician
- Biography
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Herman Snellen was a Dutch ophthalmologist who in 1862 introduced the Snellen chart to study visual acuity. He took over directorship of the Netherlands Hospital for Eye Patients (Nederlandsch Gasthuis voor Ooglijders), after Franciscus Donders. He was elected an International Member of the American Philosophical Society in 1894.
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Mirjam Sterk
- Occupations
- teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Willemina Roziena Catharina "Mirjam" Sterk is a Dutch former politician, civil servant, NH editor, and educator. As a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal she was a member of the House of Representatives from 23 May 2002 (on maternity leave from 8 April to 29 July 2008, replaced by Sabine Uitslag) until 19 September 2012. She focused on matters of integration policy and social affairs. Since 9 February 2022, she has been a member of the provincial executive of Utrecht.
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Joke Smit
- Occupations
- women's rights activistwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Johanna Elisabeth "Joke" Smit was a well-known Dutch feminist and politician in the 1970s.
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Karel Frederik Wenckebach
- Occupations
- university teacherinternistcardiologistanatomistphysician
- Biography
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Karel Frederik Wenckebach was a Dutch anatomist who was a native of the Hague.
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Sjoerd Sjoerdsma
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- 1999-2002 graduated with bachelor's degree in study of history, political science, and sociology
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Sjoerd Wiemer Sjoerdsma is a Dutch politician of the D66 party, who served as a member of the House of Representatives between 20 September 2012 and 5 December 2023. He was first elected in the 2012 Dutch general election.
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Louis Bontes
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Louis Bontes is a Dutch politician and former police officer. He was a member of the European Parliament (2009–2010) and a member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands (2010–2017) for the Party for Freedom (PVV) until 2013 and as an independent since. He was the cofounder and chairman of the political party For the Netherlands (VNL) from 2014 to 2015.
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Aart Jan de Geus
- Occupations
- juristlawyerpoliticiantrade unionist
- Biography
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Aart Jan de Geus is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and businessman. He served as Minister of Labor and Social Affairs from 2002 to 2007. Then he worked as Deputy Secretary-General for the OECD. From 2012 to 2019, De Geus was Chairman and CEO of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. From January 2020 to 2023, he was Chairman of the Goldschmeding Foundation for People, Work and Economy.
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Hugh Williamson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Hugh Williamson was an American Founding Father, medical doctor, and politician. He is best known as a signatory to the U.S. Constitution and for representing North Carolina at the Constitutional Convention.
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Intan Aletrino
- Occupations
- modelpresenter
- Biography
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Intan Aletrino is an Indonesian actress, TV host, supermodel and beauty pageant titleholder who is National Narcotics Board of the Republic of Indonesia Ambassador. She won the title of Puteri Indonesia Pariwisata 2016. She represented Indonesia at the Miss Supranational 2016 pageant in Krynica-Zdrój, Poland, where she placed in the top 10, also won Miss Elegance and Miss Multimedia Awards.
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Hans Hillen
- Occupations
- television presentercolumnistpoliticianwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Johannes Stefanus Joseph "Hans" Hillen is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and journalist.
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Jos Wienen
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Jos Wienen is a Dutch politician. He is mayor of the city of Haarlem.
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Schelto Patijn
- Enrolled in Utrecht University
- 1954-1959 studied Law of the Netherlands
- Occupations
- university teacherjuristpolitician
- Biography
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Schelto Patijn [ˈsxɛɫtoː pɑˈtɛin] was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and jurist. After serving as an elected member of the Dutch and subsequently European Parliament, he served as Queen's Commissioner in the Province of South Holland from 16 June 1984 until 1 June 1994 when he stepped down to become Mayor of Amsterdam, he served from 1 June 1994 until 1 January 2001.
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Esther de Lange
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Esther M. R. de Lange is a Dutch politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) between 2007 and 2024. A member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), part of the European People's Party (EPP), she was elected as delegation leader in the European Parliament at a party conference on 2 November 2013 in Leeuwarden, a position she assumed the following year. In July 2014 she was elected as Vice President of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and in June 2018 as Vice President of the EPP Party. De Lange stepped down as MEP in February 2024.
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Johann Jakob Scheuchzer
- Occupations
- cartographerphysicistbotanistuniversity teachertheologian
- Biography
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Johann Jakob Scheuchzer was a Swiss physician and natural scientist born in Zürich. His most famous work was the Physica sacra in four volumes, which was a commentary on the Bible and included his view of the world, demonstrating a convergence of science and religion. It was richly illustrated with copperplate etchings and came to be called the Kupfer-Bibel or "Copper Bible".
