Robert Jan van Pelt
Robert Jan van Pelt | |
---|---|
Born | Haarlem | 15 August 1955
Occupation | Historian |
Known for | The Case for Auschwitz: Evidence from the Irving Trial |
Robert Jan van Pelt (born 15 August 1955) is a Dutch author, architectural historian, professor at the
Early life and career
Van Pelt was born in Haarlem to a secular Jewish[1] family. At Leiden University, van Pelt obtained an undergraduate degree in art history and classical archaeology, a graduate degree in architectural history, and a PhD in the history of ideas. While pursuing his studies, he worked as an architectural historian, involved with the restoration of Noordeinde Palace in The Hague.[2]
Career
Teaching
He joined the University of Waterloo in 1987 and has taught courses pertaining to the cultural history of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, the 19th century, and also participates in topics including urban history and film history.[3]
He is currently Professor of Cultural History in the university's architectural faculty.[4]
Holocaust research
Van Pelt's Holocaust studies began while he was studying the
In the successful defence of Deborah Lipstadt during the Irving v Penguin Books Ltd case, van Pelt was one of the four Holocaust historians who served as expert witnesses,[7] and he defended the 770-page report[8] he produced during five days of cross-examination.[3] His involvement in the trial was included in the 2016 film Denial, in which he was played by British actor Mark Gatiss.[9]
Also in 2016, his research into the architecture of Auschwitz was presented in the exhibition Architecture as Evidence at the Venice Biennale and the Canadian Centre for Architecture.[10][11]
Writing
Van Pelt has written five books and co-authored two with
Awards
Van Pelt's awards include University of Waterloo Outstanding Professor 2005, the National Jewish Book Award (1996) for Auschwitz: 1270 to the Present, and the Spiro Kostof Award (1997) from the Society of Architectural Historians. He was a 1994-95 fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and was a 2002-04 fellow of the University of Waterloo's faculty of environmental studies.[citation needed]
Works
Books
- Architectural Principles in the Age of Historicism (1993) ISBN 978-0300057881
- Auschwitz, 1270 to the Present (1996) ISBN 978-0300067552
- Holocaust: a History (2004) ISBN 978-0393325249
- Flight from the Reich: Refugee Jews, 1933-1946 (2012) ISBN 978-0393342642
- Lodz and Getto Litzmannstadt: promised land and croaking hole of Europe (2015) ISBN 978-1329195271
- The Case for Auschwitz: Evidence from the Irving Trial (2016) ISBN 978-0253022981
- Auschwitz: Not Long Ago. Not Far Away (2020) ISBN 978-0789213310
In media
He is portrayed by the actor Mark Gatiss in the movie Denial from 2016, a dramatisation of the Irving v Penguin Books Ltd case.
See also
References
- ^ "The case of the unlikely Holocaust scholar". 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Grand Valley Society of Architects - Robert Jan van Pelt of the UW school of architecture". Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ a b c Jen, Leslie. "Van Pelt, Robert Jan". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ a b "Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State . About . Advisors". PBS. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ a b Morris, Errol. "Mr. Death: Transcript". Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ISBN 0-253-34016-0. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
My proposal to include Crematorium 2 among the key buildings .
- ^ a b "The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous". Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ The Van Pelt Report; Electronic Edition, by Robert Jan van Pelt
- ^ "Denial". imdb.com. IMDb. Retrieved 20 Feb 2017.
- ^ "2016 Venice Biennale Exhibition to Examine the 2000 Irving Trial and the Architecture of the Holocaust". ArchDaily. 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA). "Architecture as Evidence". www.cca.qc.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ Jordan Michael Smith (28 March 2012). "Life Inside the Camps". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
External links
- Robert Jan van Pelt at IMDb