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Van Nierop

NIEROP, VAN, family of Dutch jurists and bankers. NIEROP, AHASVARUS SALOMON, VAN (1813–1878), jurist, politician, and communal leader. Born at Hoorn, Holland, Van Nierop became a prominent attorney in Amsterdam. He published numerous articles on commercial law in the law journals Themis and the Weekblad voor het Recht, and sat in the Second Chamber of Parliament from 1851 to 1853 and from 1864 to 1866. Van Nierop was the first Jewish MP in the Netherlands He also became a member of the Communal Council of Amsterdam and of the First Chamber of Parliament. Van Nierop played an important part in the reorganization of Jewish communal bodies which led to the establishment of the Nederlands Israelitisch Kerkgenootschap of which he was chairman of the executive (1870–71). His son FREDERIK SALOMON VAN NIEROP (1844–1924), banker, was born in Amsterdam and graduated in law at the University of Leiden. For some years he practiced law in Amsterdam. In 1871 he became the founder of the Amsterdamsche Bank. As one of its directors Van Nierop played an important part in expanding its operations. A progressive liberal, he was a member of the Amsterdam Municipal Council (1879–1905), of the North Holland Provincial Council (1883–99), and of the First Chamber of Parliament (1899–1922). Though an assimilated Jew and religiously indifferent, he became president of the Nederlands Israelitisch Kerkgenootschap and president of the Consistory of the Amsterdam Kehillah (1876–99). A principled liberal, he favored the emancipation of Jews as Dutch citizens, and opposed private Jewish education and the Zionist movement. His son HENDRIK ABRAHAM VAN NIEROP (1881–1976), banker, succeeded him as a director of the Amsterdamsche Bank in 1916, but played no part in the community.

ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

A.S. Rijxman, in: W.J. Wieringa a.o. (eds.), Bedrijf en samenleving: economisch-historische studies over Nederland in de negentiende en twintigste eeuw, aangeboden aan prof. dr. I.J. Brugmans bij zijn aftreden als hoogleraar aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam (1967), 137–55; M.A. van Nierop, Familiegeschiedenis/family history Van Nierop 18132000: Nieuwe Niedorp, Hoorn, Amsterdam: volgend op een gedeelte van de familiegeschiedenis/and a part of the family history Ephraim 16461813 (2000).


Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.