Albertus Willem Sijthoff
Encyclopedia
Albertus Willem Sijthoff (June 30, 1829 - July 29, 1913) was a prominent Dutch
publisher from Leiden, South Holland
, Netherlands
.
in Leiden, which had established a reputation as the "city of books." His father was a prominent baker who died in 1843.
bookselling firm of K. Fuhri. After working in Paris as a resident typographist, Sijthhoff first spoke to colleagues about starting his own printing business on October 20, 1850. The A.W. Sijthoff company was established in Leiden in 1851.
Sijthoff rose to prominence in the trade of translated books. He wrote a letter, dated November 12, 1899, to Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
regarding his opposition to the petition to become a signatory to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
. He felt that the international copyright restrictions would stifle the publishing industry in the Netherlands.
Sijthoff was a member of the Society of Dutch Literature. He was knighted in the Order of Orange-Nassau
, the Order of the Oak Crown
and the Order of the Polar Star
.
, Germany
which he acquired from Munich
banker Bernhard Schuler in 1903. Previously called Villa Felsenheim, Sijthoff renamed it after himself and his wife Waldina. Sijthoff lived there until his death in 1913. Willi Daume, president of the Munich
organizing committee of the 1972 Summer Olympics
occupied the villa from 1968 to 1974.
His son Albert Georg Sijthoff continued in his father's footsteps, taking over as publisher of the Haagsche Courant
. The Sijthoff Planetarium in The Hague
was named in his son's honor in 1934, as well as the asteroid 3201 Sijthoff
, which was discovered in 1960.
The family's publishing company continues to operate today as Luitingh-Sijthoff
.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
publisher from Leiden, South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
, 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...
.
Early life
Sijthoff was born in 1829 to an established family in Leiden. He was educated at the Stedelijk GymnasiumStedelijk Gymnasium Leiden
Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden is a gymnasium in the Netherlands. Located in Leiden, it is one of the oldest schools in the Netherlands. Its history dates back to the Middle Ages...
in Leiden, which had established a reputation as the "city of books." His father was a prominent baker who died in 1843.
Publishing work
Sijthoff worked in the book and newspaper printing office of J.G. La Lau, and the HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
bookselling firm of K. Fuhri. After working in Paris as a resident typographist, Sijthhoff first spoke to colleagues about starting his own printing business on October 20, 1850. The A.W. Sijthoff company was established in Leiden in 1851.
Sijthoff rose to prominence in the trade of translated books. He wrote a letter, dated November 12, 1899, to Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
regarding his opposition to the petition to become a signatory to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, usually known as the Berne Convention, is an international agreement governing copyright, which was first accepted in Berne, Switzerland in 1886.- Content :...
. He felt that the international copyright restrictions would stifle the publishing industry in the Netherlands.
Sijthoff was a member of the Society of Dutch Literature. He was knighted in the Order of Orange-Nassau
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
, the Order of the Oak Crown
Order of the Oak Crown
The Order of the Oak Crown is an Order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.-History:The Order of the Oak Crown was instituted by the Grand Duke-King William II, in 1841...
and the Order of the Polar Star
Order of the Polar Star
The Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
.
Retirement and legacy
Sijthoff spent his retirement at Villa Waldberta, an estate in FeldafingFeldafing
Feldafing is a municipality in Starnberg district, Bavaria, Germany, and is located on the west shore of Lake Starnberg, southwest of Munich.- History :...
, Germany
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...
which he acquired from Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
banker Bernhard Schuler in 1903. Previously called Villa Felsenheim, Sijthoff renamed it after himself and his wife Waldina. Sijthoff lived there until his death in 1913. Willi Daume, president of the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
organizing committee of the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
occupied the villa from 1968 to 1974.
His son Albert Georg Sijthoff continued in his father's footsteps, taking over as publisher of the Haagsche Courant
Haagsche Courant
thumb|right|250px|Haagsche Courant Building in [[Rijswijk]]The Haagsche Courant was an independent daily newspaper that was distributed throughout the metropolitan area of The Hague for over a century.-History:...
. The Sijthoff Planetarium in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
was named in his son's honor in 1934, as well as the asteroid 3201 Sijthoff
3201 Sijthoff
3201 Sijthoff is a main-belt asteroid discovered on September 24, 1960 by Cornelis Johannes van Houten, Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld and Tom Gehrels at Palomar Observatory....
, which was discovered in 1960.
The family's publishing company continues to operate today as Luitingh-Sijthoff
Luitingh-Sijthoff
Luitingh-Sijthoff is a publishing company based in the Netherlands that releases fiction and nonfiction books for the Dutch language market. It is a subsidiary of Dutch conglomerate NDC VBK de uitgevers.-History:...
.
External links
- The printer-publisher A.W. Sijthoff (1829-1913) in the Digital library for Dutch literatureDigital library for Dutch literatureThe Digital Library for Dutch Literature is a website about Dutch language and Dutch literature. The website contains thousands of literary texts, secondary literature and additional information, like biographies, portrayals etcetera, and hyperlinks...
(in Dutch) (English translation) - A.W. Sijthoff's enterprise of the Codices graeci et latini photographice depicti duce Bibliothecae Universitatis leidensis praefecto at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Letter Collection of the University of Leiden