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]
Photo of the German extermination camp at Birkenau, taken by a United States Army Air Force plane, 25 August 1944 Poland. Crematoria II and III are visible. For reference as to the date of the photo and what it shows, see The Case for Auschwitz: Evidence from the Irving Trial by van Pelt
Van Pelt's Holocaust studies began while he was studying the Temple of Solomon under Renaissance scholar Frances Yates as part of his doctorate.[3] He has stated that he was stunned when he first entered the Auschwitz architectural archive, commenting that the place allows one to imagine what the place looked like during the war and holds a "tactile reality" as to how the camp was built, and that here, he found his mission.[5] His pursuit of Auschwitz as a point for architectural study arose when he nominated one of the crematoria and gas chamber complexes at Auschwitz-II Birkenau to be included in the University of Virginia architecture classes canon, a decision which he says was controversial among academics there.[6] Van Pelt has also appeared in Errol Morris's Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr., a documentary film about Fred Leuchter where he comments on and criticises Leuchter's methods and findings that constituted Leuchter's report for the defense of Ernst Zündel. In the film, van Pelt offers the analogy that the Nazis were the first Holocaust deniers, because through the obscure euphemisms and terminology they used in reference to their homicidal equipment, they attempted to deny to themselves what they were doing.[5]
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 Debórah Dwork. He has also contributed chapters to twenty books, and has published more than thirty articles.[7] In addition, he has served as an advisor on films and has also contributed in both the physical and dramatical reconstructions in Laurence Rees' Auschwitz: The Nazis and the 'Final Solution' television documentary.[4] He wrote the introduction to the first English-language edition of David Koker's diary.[12]
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) ISBN978-0300057881
^Pelt, Robert Jan van (2002). The Case for Auschwitz: Evidence from the Irving Trial. Indiana University Press. p. 66. ISBN0-253-34016-0. Retrieved 2008-06-02. My proposal to include Crematorium 2 among the key buildings .
^ ab"The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous". Retrieved 2008-06-02.
^The Van Pelt Report; Electronic Edition, by Robert Jan van Pelt
^"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.
robert, pelt, born, august, 1955, dutch, author, architectural, historian, professor, university, waterloo, holocaust, scholar, world, leading, experts, auschwitz, regularly, speaks, holocaust, related, topics, through, which, come, address, holocaust, denial,. Robert Jan van Pelt born 15 August 1955 is a Dutch author architectural historian professor at the University of Waterloo and a Holocaust scholar One of the world s leading experts on Auschwitz he regularly speaks on Holocaust related topics through which he has come to address Holocaust denial He was an expert witness in Deborah Lipstadt s successful defence in the civil libel suit brought against her by British author and Holocaust denier David Irving in 1996 Robert Jan van PeltRobert Jan van Pelt at the Fifth Simon Wiesenthal Lecture Vienna 16 June 2011Born 1955 08 15 15 August 1955 age 67 HaarlemOccupationHistorianKnown forThe Case for Auschwitz Evidence from the Irving Trial Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Career 2 1 Teaching 2 2 Holocaust research 2 3 Writing 3 Awards 4 Works 5 In media 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksEarly life and career EditVan 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 EditTeaching Edit 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 Edit See also Irving v Penguin Books Ltd Photo of the German extermination camp at Birkenau taken by a United States Army Air Force plane 25 August 1944 Poland Crematoria II and III are visible For reference as to the date of the photo and what it shows see The Case for Auschwitz Evidence from the Irving Trial by van Pelt Van Pelt s Holocaust studies began while he was studying the Temple of Solomon under Renaissance scholar Frances Yates as part of his doctorate 3 He has stated that he was stunned when he first entered the Auschwitz architectural archive commenting that the place allows one to imagine what the place looked like during the war and holds a tactile reality as to how the camp was built and that here he found his mission 5 His pursuit of Auschwitz as a point for architectural study arose when he nominated one of the crematoria and gas chamber complexes at Auschwitz II Birkenau to be included in the University of Virginia architecture classes canon a decision which he says was controversial among academics there 6 Van Pelt has also appeared in Errol Morris s Mr Death The Rise and Fall of Fred A Leuchter Jr a documentary film about Fred Leuchter where he comments on and criticises Leuchter s methods and findings that constituted Leuchter s report for the defense of Ernst Zundel In the film van Pelt offers the analogy that the Nazis were the first Holocaust deniers because through the obscure euphemisms and terminology they used in reference to their homicidal equipment they attempted to deny to themselves what they were doing 5 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 Edit Van Pelt has written five books and co authored two with Deborah Dwork He has also contributed chapters to twenty books and has published more than thirty articles 7 In addition he has served as an advisor on films and has also contributed in both the physical and dramatical reconstructions in Laurence Rees Auschwitz The Nazis and the Final Solution television documentary 4 He wrote the introduction to the first English language edition of David Koker s diary 12 Awards EditVan 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 EditBooks 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 0789213310In media EditHe 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 EditList of University of Waterloo peopleReferences Edit 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 Pelt Robert Jan van 2002 The Case for Auschwitz Evidence from the Irving Trial Indiana University Press p 66 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 EditRobert Jan van Pelt at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert Jan van Pelt amp oldid 1114621134, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
