Loe de Jong
Encyclopedia
Louis de Jong (24 April, 1914 in Amsterdam
– 15 March, 2005 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch
journalist
and historian
specialising in the history of the Netherlands in World War II and the Dutch resistance
.
He wrote the standard work The Kingdom of the Netherlands during World War II, a book series of 26 volumes and over 15000 pages. He has also contributed to many other histories on the Netherlands
and was a speaker at symposia
on the European resistance
. In 1988 De Jong was awarded the Gouden Ganzenveer
for his contributions to Dutch written and printed culture.
Loe de Jong was Jewish by birth. He lost the greater part of his family, including his parents and his twin brother during the Second World War.
He managed to escape the Holocaust
by fleeing to England
together with his wife when the Germans
invaded the Netherlands. During this time he worked for Radio Oranje broadcasting out of London
to the occupied Netherlands.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
– 15 March, 2005 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch
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...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
specialising in the history of the Netherlands in World War II and the Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...
.
He wrote the standard work The Kingdom of the Netherlands during World War II, a book series of 26 volumes and over 15000 pages. He has also contributed to many other histories on the Netherlands
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...
and was a speaker at symposia
Academic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
on the European resistance
Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
. In 1988 De Jong was awarded the Gouden Ganzenveer
Gouden Ganzenveer
The Gouden Ganzenveer is a Dutch cultural award initiated in 1955, given annually to a person or organization of great significance to the written and printed word. Recipients are selected by an academy of people from the cultural, political, scientific, and corporate world. Members meet once a...
for his contributions to Dutch written and printed culture.
Loe de Jong was Jewish by birth. He lost the greater part of his family, including his parents and his twin brother during the Second World War.
He managed to escape the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
by fleeing to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
together with his wife when the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
invaded the Netherlands. During this time he worked for Radio Oranje broadcasting out of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to the occupied Netherlands.