Pieter van Vollenhoven facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pieter van Vollenhoven
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Van Vollenhoven in 2003
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| Born | 30 April 1939 Schiedam, Netherlands
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| Alma mater | Leiden University |
| Occupation | Emeritus Professor |
| Organization | Dutch Transport Safety Board Dutch Safety Board |
| Title | Master of Laws |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Prince Maurits Prince Bernhard Prince Pieter-Christiaan Prince Floris |
| Parent(s) | Pieter van Vollenhoven Sr. Jacoba Gijsbertha Stuyling de Lange |
Pieter van Vollenhoven Jr. was born on April 30, 1939. He is married to Princess Margriet of the Netherlands. This makes him a member of the Dutch royal house through his marriage. He is known for his important work in safety and helping victims.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pieter van Vollenhoven was born in Schiedam, a city in the Netherlands. He is the second son of Pieter van Vollenhoven Sr. and Jacoba Gijsbertha Stuylingh de Lange. Both of his parents came from well-known Dutch families.
He went to high school in Rotterdam. After that, he studied law at Leiden University. He finished his studies in 1965. Then, he worked as a legal officer for the Netherlands Council of State. This council gives advice to the government. In 1966, he joined the Royal Netherlands Air Force for his military service. He earned his military pilot license the next year.
Working for Safety
Pieter van Vollenhoven is very well known in the Netherlands for his work in safety. He was the chairman of the Dutch Safety Board. He retired from this role in February 2011.
Leading Safety Investigations
He first became the chairman of boards that looked into road and rail accidents. After two big disasters, the Bijlmer and Hercules accidents, people realized a single group was needed to investigate all transport accidents. So, the Transportation Safety Council was created, and he became its chairman.
Mr. Van Vollenhoven believed that there should be one board for all safety issues, not just transport. He worked hard to convince the government. Because of his efforts, the Transportation Safety Council became the general Safety Board. He was the first chairman of this new, bigger board.
Teaching About Safety
Because of his deep knowledge about safety, the University of Twente made him a professor. This happened on October 1, 2005. He taught about policy research, which is part of managing risks. In 2006, he gave a speech where he suggested creating a special government minister just for safety.
Helping Others and Other Roles
In 1989, Mr. Van Vollenhoven started the Dutch Victim Support Fund. He is also the chairman of this fund, which helps people who have been victims of crimes or accidents. He also leads other important organizations. These include the Nationaal Groenfonds, which helps with green projects, and the National Restorationfund, which helps restore old buildings. He is also involved with the Society, Safety and Police Association and the International Transport Safety Board. He is also a member of the European Transport Safety Council.
Important Safety Cases
As the chairman of the Safety Board, Mr. Van Vollenhoven led investigations into major incidents.
- Schiphol Fire Investigation: He oversaw the investigation of a fire at a holding facility for immigrants in the Netherlands. His report, released in 2006, had very serious findings. Two government ministers resigned because of what the report revealed.
- Turkish Airlines Flight Crash: He also led the investigation into the Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 crash. During this investigation, he refused to give the "black box" data to the Attorney General's Office. He explained that there was no sign of foul play, and sharing the data could make people afraid to speak freely during the safety investigation.
When he turned 70, Barry Sweedler from the US National Transportation Safety Board praised him. He said, "The world is a safer place because of your work and leadership."
Hobbies and Interests
Pieter van Vollenhoven has several interesting hobbies.
Music and Performance
He is a talented pianist. In 1986, he formed a music group called De Gevleugelde Vrienden (The Winged Friends). He played with two famous Dutch pianists, Pim Jacobs and Louis van Dijk. They gave about twenty concerts each year, both in the Netherlands and abroad. These concerts helped raise money for the Victim Support Fund. Their music even earned them four gold records! After Pim Jacobs passed away, Mr. Van Vollenhoven continued to perform with Louis van Dijk and Koos Mark.
Flying and Diving
He is still an active pilot. He also enjoys diving. In 2005, he had an accident while diving and almost lost the tip of his right index finger. Luckily, doctors were able to reattach it.
Photography
Mr. Van Vollenhoven is also a photographer. In 2008 and 2009, the Victim Support Fund raised money by selling calendars that featured his photographs.
Health Update
In May 2017, Mr. Van Vollenhoven was diagnosed with a type of skin cancer called Melanoma. He had it removed at a hospital in Amsterdam. Later that same year, in November, he was diagnosed with another Melanoma, which was also removed.
Marriage and Family Life
Pieter van Vollenhoven married Princess Margriet of the Netherlands on January 10, 1967. Their wedding took place at the St. James Church in The Hague. He was the first person in the Dutch Royal House who was not from a royal or noble family. He did not receive any royal titles when he married. So, he is formally called "Mister Van Vollenhoven" or "Professor Van Vollenhoven."
The couple lives in Het Loo House, which is near the Het Loo Palace. They have four sons:
- Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (born April 17, 1968), who married Marilène van den Broek.
- Prince Bernhard of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (born December 25, 1969), who married Annette Sekrève.
- Prince Pieter-Christiaan of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (born March 22, 1972), who married Anita van Eijk.
- Prince Floris of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven (born April 10, 1975), who married Aimée Söhngen.
The children of Prince Maurits use the family name Van Lippe-Biesterfeld van Vollenhoven. His other grandchildren are simply called van Vollenhoven.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Pieter van Vollenhoven has received many awards and honors from the Netherlands and other countries. These awards recognize his important work and contributions.
Honorary Citizenship
On June 12, 2004, he was made an Honorary citizen of the town of Vollenhove. This is a special recognition given to people who have done great things for a town.
