Arie de Jong

Lore & Background

Arie de Jong was born in Batavia (now Jakarta) in the Dutch East Indies. His family moved to Leiden in 1873, where he attended grammar school and studied medicine at Leiden University, earning his doctorate in February 1891. He became a military medical officer and served in the East Indies, marrying three times and losing his first wife at sea and two children in infancy. His medical career included work against tropical diseases and helping lepers with activities and simple jobs at a time when such actions were not yet popular.

De Jong encountered Volapük during his studies in Leiden and quickly advanced, receiving his teacher's diploma in March 1891 and his professor diploma in 1893. He maintained his interest while in the East Indies through correspondence and became a Volapük academian in 1901. He co-founded Volapükaklub Valemik Nedänik (Dutch Universal Volapük Club) and founded Diläd valemik Feda Volapükaklubas, as well as the newspaper Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans, which he edited from its founding in 1932 until his death in 1958.

Reader's Guide

Arie de Jong's significance lies in his role as the central figure in the revival of Volapük after its initial decline. By revising the language and producing authoritative reference works, he provided a stable foundation for the Volapük movement in the Netherlands and beyond. His Gramat Volapüka and Wörterbuch der Weltsprache remain essential resources for students of the language. His long-running newspaper, Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans, helped sustain a community of speakers for over three decades. De Jong's legacy is that of a dedicated scholar who, alongside his medical career, devoted decades to preserving and modernizing a constructed language, ensuring its continued study and use into the 20th century.

Did You Know?

• Arie de Jong received his Volapük teacher's diploma in March 1891 and his professor diploma in 1893, two years later.
• He founded and edited the Volapük newspaper Volapükagased pro Nedänapükans from 1932 until his death in 1958.
• His first wife died aboard ship on the Red Sea on April 1, 1892, just 19 days before he reached Batavia alone.
• He translated the New Testament into Volapük from Greek.