G. J. Renier
Gustaaf Johannes Petrus Renier (25 September 1892, Flushing – 1 September 1962, Twickenham) was professor of Dutch History at University College London.
Early life
[edit]Renier was the child of Johanna Maria Elisabeth Renier and the maritime pilot Peter Paul Renier,[1][2] both natives of Flushing.[3] He was sent to school in Antwerp and Leuven, and studied History at the University of Ghent, beginning a doctorate under Henri Pirenne.
Career
[edit]At the outbreak of the First World War he fled to England, working as a journalist, biographer and translator, and became London editor of Nieuwe Courant,[4] began his PhD at University College in 1921, completing his doctoral thesis on 19th century Anglo-Dutch relations in 1930, under Pieter Geyl. In 1939, Renier was a BBC contract staff member.[4] In 1936, he succeeded Geyl as Reader in Dutch History at University College London, retiring in 1957.[5]
In contrast to his former advisor, Geyl, he took the view that Dutch and Belgian nationhood were highly distinct.[citation needed]
Personal life
[edit]On 17 May 1923, he married the Irish novelist Kate O'Brien, but the marriage ended within a year, and divorced 1925.[6] O'Brien left Bilbao after less than a year, returning to London because of her sudden decision to marry Renier, the marriage only lasted eleven months.[7]
Works
[edit]- Great Britain and the Establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1930)
- The English: are They Human?. Williams & Norgate. 1931.
- The Ill-fated Princess: The Life of Charlotte, Daughter of the Prince Regent (1932)
- William of Orange (1932)
- Oscar Wilde (1933)
- He Came to England (1933)
- Robespierre (1936)
- The Criterion of Dutch Nationhood: An Inaugural Lecture Delivered at University College, London on June 4, 1945. G. Allen & Unwin. 1946.[8]
- History, its Purpose and Method (Boston: Beacon Press, 1950) (Routledge, March 2018)
Further reading
[edit]- E. H. Kossmann, "Gustaaf Johannes Renier", in Politieke theorie en geschiedenis (Bert Bakker, Amsterdam, 1987), pp. 420–424.
References
[edit]- ^ H. van der Hoeven, Renier, Gustaaf Johannes Petrus (1892-1962) at historic.nl (in Dutch)
- ^ "Renier, Gustaaf Johannes Petrus (1892-1962)". Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland:1880-2000. Huygens Instituut. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Genealogy page. Both biographies erroneously describe Renier's mother as Walloon. Both his grandfathers were from Ostend, West Flanders, his grandmothers were locals from Flushing and Middelburg.
- ^ a b "Successes, setbacks and stories of the unexpected from the IHR's Class of 1921". On History. Institute of Historical Research. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ "Gustaaf Johannes Petrus Renier". Wiki Encyclopedie van Zeeland. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ "O'Brien, Kate (1897–1974)". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Davison, Jane. "Kate O'Brien and Spanish Literary Culture". Project MUSE. Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Bury, J. P. T. (April 1947). "The Criterion of Dutch Nationhood. An Inaugural Lecture delivered at University College, London, on June 4, 1945, by Professor G. J. Renier". International Affairs. 23 (2): 262. doi:10.2307/3018931. JSTOR 3018931.
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