Tobias Asser

Vocation

Notable

Dutch jurist and professor of Law. In 1911 he won with Alfred Fried the Nobel Prize for Peace for his role in the formation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. T.M.C. Asser belonged to a Dutch Jewish family of prominent jurists and scholars in Law that started with his grandfather Mozes Salomon Asser (b. 7 August 1754, A'dam – 4 Nov 1826). Professor in Law Karel Daniel Asser (1843-1889) was his nephew and Justice minister Michel Henry Godefroi (1813-1882) was his uncle. His parents were the jurist and local politician Carel Daniel Asser (31 Aug 1813 - 3 Nov 1890) and Rosette Godefroi (12 March 1816 - 21 Jan 1892), who married on 21 June 1837. They had three sons and a daughter. T.M.C. Asser studied law at the University of Amsterdam and in Leiden (1856-1860) and dissertated on 19 April 1860 in Leiden. On 9 May 1862 he became law professor at the University of Amsterdam. He had a practical attitude and combined scholarship with his practice as a lawyer. From 15 October 1877 till 18 September 1893 he was "buitengewoon" professor in Commercial law and Conflict of laws. After that he was a member of the Dutch Council of State (Raad van State), an advisory body to the government. Like his father he went into politics, but he was not elected in the parliament. But as an advisor in the background of the Amsterdam business world and advisor and delegate of the Dutch Government in international law and trade questions he gained much more influence... T.M.C. Asser was the chairman of the International Hague Conferences dealing with International Trade and Right that were held since 1893. His approach was practical and diplomatic, and by profoundly preparing the pieces often successful. Personal On 22 June 1864 he married Johanna Ernestina Asser (b. 7 Jan 1839, The Hague - 11 Aug 1917) in The Hague. The couple had four children: Carel Daniel (1866-1939), Hendrik Lodewijk (1867-1901), Elizabeth Maria Rosa (1868-1934) and Jan Asser (1882-1945). Around 1890 T.M.C. Asser broke with the Jewish religion. T.M.C. Asser died 29 November 1913 in The Hague at age 75. His eldest son Carel Daniël Asser (14 Feb 1866, Amsterdam- 17 Feb 1939, A'dam) became a jurist. His youngest son Jan Asser (16 April 1882, Amsterdam - 9 May 1945, Theresienstadt) was a gifted musician (piano) and translator of Dante and others, but did nor survive the Holocaust. The T.M.C. Asser Institute (1965) is named after him. Link to Wikipidia biography