Daniël George van Beuningen
Encyclopedia
Daniël George van Beuningen (4 March 1877 – 29 May 1955) was a Dutch
businessman and icon for the city of Rotterdam
.
Born in Utrecht
Van Beuningen had a typical character referring to people from Rotterdam. He was a hard working man in the port of the city, which was the largest port in the world in those days. He was a well known celebrity not only in the city itself, but all over the country and in many other countries as well.
His father was co-founder of the Steenkolen Handels Vereniging
, which became big during the World War I
supplying both the English and German armies with coal
. Van Beuningen led a large amount of companies in the port of Rotterdam
and after the war he owned most of these companies and he became also active in the society. In 1937 he was one of the co-financial partners of the newly built Stadion Feijenoord, buying the ground where the stadium was built and was one of the founders for the Harbour Hospital in the city. During the World War II
in 1941 he resigned. In 1954, several months before his death in Arlesheim
, Switzerland
the Van Beuningen family was forced to withdraw completely out of the SHV Holdings as there was no replaceable family member to become director.
Van Beuningen was a collector of art from the 15th and 16th century out of the northern and southern parts of the Netherlands. During his life he gave several of his collections away to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
. During his life he married a total of three times. His first marriage was with Mies Schout Velthuys, but due to his hard work they hardly saw each other. She died in 1926 aged 43. A short second marriage to Odette Paule Fernande Ragoulleau ended up in a divorce. In 1938 he married for the third time, this time to Bep Charlouis.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
businessman and icon for the city of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
.
Born in Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
Van Beuningen had a typical character referring to people from Rotterdam. He was a hard working man in the port of the city, which was the largest port in the world in those days. He was a well known celebrity not only in the city itself, but all over the country and in many other countries as well.
His father was co-founder of the Steenkolen Handels Vereniging
SHV Holdings
SHV Holdings is a privately owned Dutch trading company, regarded as one of the world's largest private trading groups. SHV have interests in transport, retail, oil and financial services, including part of the Makro cash-and-carry chain.-History:...
, which became big during the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
supplying both the English and German armies with coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. Van Beuningen led a large amount of companies in the port of Rotterdam
Port of Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004 it was the world's busiest port, now overtaken by first Shanghai and then Singapore...
and after the war he owned most of these companies and he became also active in the society. In 1937 he was one of the co-financial partners of the newly built Stadion Feijenoord, buying the ground where the stadium was built and was one of the founders for the Harbour Hospital in the city. During the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1941 he resigned. In 1954, several months before his death in Arlesheim
Arlesheim
Arlesheim is a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland. Its cathedral chapter seat, bishop's residence and cathedral are listed as a heritage site of national significance....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
the Van Beuningen family was forced to withdraw completely out of the SHV Holdings as there was no replaceable family member to become director.
Van Beuningen was a collector of art from the 15th and 16th century out of the northern and southern parts of the Netherlands. During his life he gave several of his collections away to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is the main art museum in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The museum began in 1847 with the collection of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans . Much of the museum's original collection was destroyed in a disastrous 1864 fire...
. During his life he married a total of three times. His first marriage was with Mies Schout Velthuys, but due to his hard work they hardly saw each other. She died in 1926 aged 43. A short second marriage to Odette Paule Fernande Ragoulleau ended up in a divorce. In 1938 he married for the third time, this time to Bep Charlouis.
External links
- Biography at Biographical Dictionary Netherlands