58
4 Observator and Professor
Table 4.1 Jacobus Kapteyn, Elise Kalshoven and their parents
Jacobus Cornelius
January 19, 1851
Jun 18, 1922
Kapteyn
Barneveld
Amsterdam
Married on July 17, 1879 at Utrecht to
Catharina Elisabeth
June 19, 1855
March 2, 1945
Kalshoven
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Parents
Gerrit Jacobus
January 4, 1812
July 26, 1879
Kapteyn
Bodegraven
Barneveld
Married on March 12, 1837 at Bodegraven to
Elisabeth Cornelia
November 5, 1814
November 24, 1896
Koomans
Rotterdam
Barneveld
Jacobus Wilhelmus
June 18, 1813
February 14, 1869
Kalshoven
Nieuwer-Amstel
Abcoude-Proostdij
Married (I) on June 12, 1838 at Amsterdam to
Catharina Elisabeth
June 30, 1814
November 9, 1849
Brandt
unknown
Amsterdam
Married (II) on June 1, 1853 at Zwolle to
Henriëtte Mariëtte Augustine
April 7, 1822
April 13, 1895
Albertine Frieseman
Harderwijk
Dieren
kept she had written on the outside: ‘Blessed memory, read through on August
13, 1933–1934–1935–55 years after the day of engagement’.
A number of themes can be identified in this correspondence. The first
is Kapteyn’s problems in his new position. He complained extensively about
the failure of obtaining an observatory. In November 1878 he spoke with
concern about the rumors that the government wanted to close down one of
the universities, and the presumption that this would be Groningen. Perhaps he
would be transferred to Leiden and would have to work under Hendricus van de
Sande Bakhuyzen again. He is also very nervous before giving lectures; he had
extensively practiced his inaugural speech according to Henriette Hertzsprung–
Kapteyn’s biography [1]. ‘Up to 30 times he recited his speech to two sisters,
who patiently represented his audience and made comments from the two
most distant corners of the room.’ When fellow professor Mees was ill for a
longer period of time he had to replace him at exams and PhD defenses. He
felt rather insecure about that and it also took up a lot of his time. There was
one Onnes, in whose thesis research he had played some role, in an area of
which he felt he knew ‘very little’. This was of course later Nobel laureate Heike
Kamerlingh Onnes (1853–1926), who a few days before Kapteyn’s marriage
defended a thesis on new evidence for the rotation of the Earth. 1 So this was
1 Mees had been the thesis supervisor, but must have been unable to fulfill that role.
4 Observator and Professor
Table 4.1 Jacobus Kapteyn, Elise Kalshoven and their parents
Jacobus Cornelius
January 19, 1851
Jun 18, 1922
Kapteyn
Barneveld
Amsterdam
Married on July 17, 1879 at Utrecht to
Catharina Elisabeth
June 19, 1855
March 2, 1945
Kalshoven
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Parents
Gerrit Jacobus
January 4, 1812
July 26, 1879
Kapteyn
Bodegraven
Barneveld
Married on March 12, 1837 at Bodegraven to
Elisabeth Cornelia
November 5, 1814
November 24, 1896
Koomans
Rotterdam
Barneveld
Jacobus Wilhelmus
June 18, 1813
February 14, 1869
Kalshoven
Nieuwer-Amstel
Abcoude-Proostdij
Married (I) on June 12, 1838 at Amsterdam to
Catharina Elisabeth
June 30, 1814
November 9, 1849
Brandt
unknown
Amsterdam
Married (II) on June 1, 1853 at Zwolle to
Henriëtte Mariëtte Augustine
April 7, 1822
April 13, 1895
Albertine Frieseman
Harderwijk
Dieren
kept she had written on the outside: ‘Blessed memory, read through on August
13, 1933–1934–1935–55 years after the day of engagement’.
A number of themes can be identified in this correspondence. The first
is Kapteyn’s problems in his new position. He complained extensively about
the failure of obtaining an observatory. In November 1878 he spoke with
concern about the rumors that the government wanted to close down one of
the universities, and the presumption that this would be Groningen. Perhaps he
would be transferred to Leiden and would have to work under Hendricus van de
Sande Bakhuyzen again. He is also very nervous before giving lectures; he had
extensively practiced his inaugural speech according to Henriette Hertzsprung–
Kapteyn’s biography [1]. ‘Up to 30 times he recited his speech to two sisters,
who patiently represented his audience and made comments from the two
most distant corners of the room.’ When fellow professor Mees was ill for a
longer period of time he had to replace him at exams and PhD defenses. He
felt rather insecure about that and it also took up a lot of his time. There was
one Onnes, in whose thesis research he had played some role, in an area of
which he felt he knew ‘very little’. This was of course later Nobel laureate Heike
Kamerlingh Onnes (1853–1926), who a few days before Kapteyn’s marriage
defended a thesis on new evidence for the rotation of the Earth. 1 So this was
1 Mees had been the thesis supervisor, but must have been unable to fulfill that role.