This is a chronological list of the most notable people from Leeuwarden, who were either born and raised there or were long-term residents. For a more extensive, alphabetical list see People from Leeuwarden.
See also List of mayors of Leeuwarden
Born in Leeuwarden
15th century Wijerd Jelckama ( 1490–1523), military commander Hendrik Niehoff (1495– 1561), pipe organ maker
16th century Obbe Philips ( 1500–1568), anabaptist Dirk Philips (1504–1568), anabaptist and theologian Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527– 1607), architect, painter, and engineer Johannes Basius ( 1540–1596), lawyer Dominicus Arumaeus (1579–1637), jurist Pieter de Valck (1584–1624), painter Wybrand de Geest (1592–1661), painter Matthijs Harings (1593–1667), painter Jeronimus Cornelisz (1598–1629), apothecary
17th century Margaretha de Heer (1603–1665), painter Douwe Juwes de Dowe (1608–1662), painter Maerten Boelema de Stomme (1611–1644), painter Saskia van Uylenburg (1612–1642), wife of the painter Rembrandt van Rijn Abraham Lambertsz van den Tempel (1622–1672), painter Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635–1711), minister Wigerus Vitringa (1657–1725), painter Campegius Vitringa (1659–1722), theologian Jetske Reinou van der Malen (bap. 1681–1752), poet Siwart Haverkamp (1684–1742), classicist
18th century Matthijs Accama (1702–1783), painter Jacques-Georges Chauffepié (1702–1786), biographer, preacher Douwe Sirtema van Grovestins (1710–1778), courtier and politician Willem van Haren (1710–1768), poet Princess Amalia of Nassau-Dietz (1710–1777), princess William IV, Prince of Orange (1711–1751), stadtholder Lodewijk Caspar Valckenaer (1715–1785), classical scholar Rienk Jelgerhuis (1729–1806), painter Joachim van Plettenberg (1739–1793), colonial governor Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (1743–1787), regent Theodorus van Kooten (1749–1813), poet and politician Johannes Jelgerhuis (1770–1836), painter and actor Sybren Klazes Sybrandi (1772–1854), mennonite minister Eelke Jelles Eelkema (1788–1839), painter Wilhelmina van Idsinga (1788–1819), painter Jacobus Schroeder van der Kolk (1797–1862), anatomist and physiologist
19th century Charles William Meredith van de Velde (1818–1898), lieutenant-at-sea and painter Julius Vitringa Coulon (1824–1878), politician Christoffel Bisschop (1828-1904), painter Willem Frederik Reinier Suringar (1832–1898), botanist Piet Paaltjens (1835–1894), minister and romantic author Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836–1912), knighted painter Sierk Coolsma (1840–1926), missionary and writer George Arnold Escher (1843–1939), civil engineer Klaas Plantinga (1846–1922), distiller Richard Bisschop (1849–1926), painter Cornelis Adriaan Lobry van Troostenburg de Bruyn (1857–1904), chemist Pieter Jelles Troelstra (1860–1930), politician Dirk van Erp (1860–1933), artisan and metalsmith Johannes Henricus Gerardus Jansen (1868–1936), archbishop Theo Molkenboer (1871–1920), painter Theodoor Hendrik van de Velde (1873–1937), gynaecologist Folkert Posthuma (1874–1943), politician Mata Hari (1876–1917), exotic dancer and courtesan, possible double agent Gerhard Westermann (1880–1971), artist Richard Hageman (1881–1966), conductor, pianist, composer, and actor Max Blokzijl (1884-1946), singer and journalist Hendrik Wouda (1885–1946), architect Jacob Baart de la Faille (1886–1959), art critic Arie Bijvoet (1891–1976), footballer Bert Sas (1892–1948), military attaché Ate Faber (1894–1962), fencer Jeanne Bieruma Oosting (1898–1994), sculptor, engraver and painter Sijtse Jansma (1898–1977), tug of war competitor Jan Jacob Slauerhoff (1898–1936), poet and novelist M. C. Escher (1898–1972), graphic artist
20th century
1900s Christine Buisman (1900–1936), phytopathologist Koos Sinninghe Damsté (1902–1995), lawyer Pieter Oosterhoff (1904–1978), astronomer Havank (1904–1964), writer, journalist, and translator Piet Zanstra (1905–2003), architect Roeffie Vermeulen (1906–1963), sailor Jan Graafland (born 1909), footballer Petrus Wijtse Winkel (1909–2012), colonial administrator
1910s Albert Winsemius (1910–1996), economist Bernard Slicher van Bath (1910–2004), historian Bert Bakker (1912–1969), writer Nina Baanders-Kessler (1915–2002), sculptor Haije Kramer (1917–2004), chess player
1920s Folkert de Roos (1920–2000), economist Ted Meines (1921–2016), army general and activist Ruurd Dirk Hoogland (1922–1994), botanist and explorer Jan de Vries (1924–2012), soldier Jitse van der Veen (1928–1976), swimmer Jaap Boersma (1929–2012), politician Wim Cohen (1923–2000), mathematician
1930s Eva and Abraham Beem (1932/1934–1944), young Jewish Holocaust victims Jan Hettema (1933–2016), cyclist Jan D. Achenbach (born 1935), engineer Sieta Posthumus (born 1936), swimmer Nikolai van der Heyde (born 1936), film director and screenwriter Cor Boonstra (born 1938), chief executive Cornelis Dirk Andriesse (born 1939), physicist
1940s Johan Bleeker (born 1942), space technology scientist Sytse Douma (born 1942), organizational theorist Cisca Dresselhuys (born 1943), journalist and magazine editor Femme Gaastra (born 1945), historian Hans Monderman (1945–2008), traffic engineer L. Bouke van der Meer (born 1945), archaeologist Meindert Fennema (born 1946), political scientist Piet Hoekstra (born 1947), cyclist Theo de Jong (born 1947), footballer and football manager Rudy Koopmans (born 1948), boxer Tom Pitstra (born 1949), politician Oeki Hoekema (born 1949), footballer
1950s Peter den Oudsten (born 1951), mayor Harm Wiersma (born 1953), draughts player and politician Margreeth Smilde (born 1954), politician Jan Hogendijk (born 1955), mathematician and historian Henk van der Zwan (born 1956), diplomat Koos Formsma (born 1957), businessman Piet Wildschut (born 1957), footballer Piter Wilkens (born 1959), musician
1960s Hendrik Tolman (born 1961), civil engineer Foeke Booy (born 1962), footballer and football manager Annejet van der Zijl (born 1962), writer Aukje de Vries (born 1964), politician Jan Veenhof (born 1969), footballer
1970s Tjitske Reidinga (born 1972), actress Richard Schuil (born 1973), beach volleyball player Jarich Bakker (born 1974), cyclist Peter van der Vlag (born 1977), footballer
1980s Rune Massing (born 1980), badminton player Harm Zeinstra (born 1989), footballer
1990s Sander Arends (born 1991), tennis player Sanne Wevers (born 1991), gymnast Lieke Wevers (born 1991), gymnast Mark Diemers (born 1993), footballer Itzhak de Laat (born 1994), short track speed skater Joost Klein (born 1997), musician and rapper
References