Abraham de Vries (minister)

Abraham de Vries (20 April 1773 in Amsterdam – 3 November 1862 in Haarlem) was a Dutch Mennonite minister, author on literature and member of several societies.

Abraham was born as the son of merchant Gerrit de Vries and his wife Catherina de Bosch (sister of the poet Hieronymus de Bosch) as brother to Jeronimo de Vries (author). He studied at the Latin School of Amsterdam and was considered to be one of the better students and at the Mennonite Atheneum from 1788 until 1792 and then he studied for teacher at the Mennonite pedagogical academy. In 1795 he was, as a Patriot, appointed as adjunct secretary to the "Committé van Algemeen Welzijn" (Committee of General Welfare) by the Provisional Government with the promise he were to be relieved when a new government would have been elected - but then accepted a permanent position at this Secretariat. At the same time he developed an interest in literature and law (he was member of the society Concordia et Libertate) - but in 1798 he was fired after a month imprisonment (after the 1798 revolution he was accused to be an Orangist) and returned to theology but maintained his interest in literature and literary contacts.

In 1799 he graduated and accepted a post as a Mennonite minister in Wormerveer, Grouw, Franeker and Nijmegen. In 1801 he succeeded Jan Kops at the Mennonite congregation in Leiden and two years later he moved to the mennonite congregation in Haarlem where he would remain minister until his retirement. In 1811 he co-founded the "Algemeene Doopsgezinde Societeit" (General Mennonite Society) and became a board member. His interest and activities in both classical and Dutch literature resulted in his nomination for professor at Hoogeschool Leiden in Dutch and Classical literature, but he always refused - but was in 1820 awarded with a doctorate honoris causae in literature. De Vries compiled a catalogue of the collection of the Public Library in Haarlem in 1848.

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