Cornelis Van Gelderen

Vocation

Dutch Reformed Protestant pastor, professor of the Old Testament and Semitic languages. He was the eldest son of the silver smith Pieter van Gelderen (11 April 1847, Schoonhoven - 21 May 1921, Zwolle) and Hendrika Jacoba "Jet" Callenbach (24 July 1845, Nijkerk - 14 June 1914), who married 1 June 1871 in Valburg. Silver was used in Protestant circles to decorate the leather bound family bibles. His mother Jet was the 14th of the 17 children of reverend Cornelis Carel Callenbach (28 Jan 1803, Amsterdam- 25 Oct 1873, Elst), who was nicknamed by prof. Doedens as "The prophet of the Veluwe" Dutch Bible belt. His parents Pieter and Hendrica got seven children, of which at least three died at young age in Schoonhoven: Hendrina Jacoba (3 Jan 1877 - 6 Sept 1877), Hendrina Jacoba Francina (26 Dec 1878 - 18 Nov 1880) and Pieter Cornelis Carel (13 Dec 1880 - 15 Dec 1880). He studied Theology and Semitic Languages at the Theological School in Kampen, Berlin and Leipzig. His promoted with "Ausgewählte Babylonisch-Assyrische Briefe, transscribiert und übersetzt" in Leipzig (1902). December 1901 he married Klaasje Stagger. From 1901 until 1904 he was pastor in Schoonebeek. In 1904 Van Gelderen was elected as professor in Semitic Languages at the Protestant " Vrije" University of Amsterdam. In 1906 he also became a professor of the Old Testament in Amsterdam. He taught biblical archeology, Hebrew, Syrian, Assyrian and Arabic languages and published al lot. He contributed to a bible translation in South Afrika. Personal On 11 December 1901 he married Klaasje Stagger (3 October 1875, Meppel - 30 April 1935, Amsterdam). They were blessed with four children and many grandchildren. His daughter Henriëtte Jacoba (Jet)van Gelderen (18 Feb 1903, Schoonebeek - 17 Dec 1981, Amsterdam)studied history and worked at the archives of the Protestant Dutch newspaper Trouw. His son Jan Jacob van Gelderen(4 Oct 1904 Meppel -12 May 1971, Utrecht) became a physician and Health inspector in Utrecht. His daughter Zwaantina Margarete "Swant" van Gelderen (10 Nov 1905, Watergraafsmeer - 3 March 1999, Epe) maried a pastor and got six children. His daughter Catharina Maria "To" Theresia was born 21 April 1908 at Watergraafsmeer and died 10 February 1999 in Zeist. During WW2, he hosted the chief rabbi Justus Tal (10 Dec 1881, Arnhem - 9 Dec 1954, Amsterdam) and his wife Angela Abrahams in his house. Both survived the Shoah. He died 18 November 1945 in Amsterdam.