Gerardus Johannes Petrus Josephus Bolland

Gerardus Johannes Petrus Josephus Bolland (9 June 1854, Groningen – 11 February 1922, Leiden), also known as G.J.P.J. Bolland, was a Dutch autodidact (self-taught man), linguist, philosopher, biblical scholar, and lecturer. An excellent orator, he gave extremely well attended public lectures in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Delft, Groningen, Nijmegen and Belgium.

He became an expert in German idealism, being especially interested in the works of Eduard von Hartmann and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. He began researching the formation of Christianity in 1891, and was extremely literate in religious history. He was associated with the Dutch radical school.

He effected a revival in Hegelianism in the Netherlands around 1900 by arranging a new edition of Hegel’s works, and stimulating a renewal of interest in philosophy in the Netherlands. He had a quirky style in his use of the Dutch language causing linguist J.A. Dèr Mouw, among others, to criticise him sharply.

Bolland was born into a simple Catholic family in Groningen. He reached the position of professor of philosophy at the University of Leiden in 1896 after a career as a teacher in Katwijk aan Zee and as a teacher of English and German in Batavia (Dutch East-Indies).

He published "Hegel: An Historical Investigation" ("Hegel. Eene Historische Studie") in 1898, and a year later he started publishing Hegel’s most important works. In 1904 he published "Pure Reason. A book for the Friends of Wisdom" ("Zuivere Rede. Een boek voor vrienden der wijsheid").

Bolland had a "charismatic and eccentric personality, (was) harshly critical to various social groups and institutions, thus making lots of decided enemies, but also adorers.". An antidemocratic conservative, he harboured a virulent hatred of Jews, Freemasons and the working class. His statue was removed from the House of Representatives in 2003 because of a complaint by MP Van Raak about Bolland's anti-Semitism. Bolland described himself as “mystic and a “desperate sceptical agnostic”. Although critical of Christianity and clericalism he was a religious man. After his death, Hegelians of the right formed the Bolland Association (Bolland Genootschap).

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