Pim Mulier | |
|---|---|
 Pim Mulier | |
| Born | Willem Johan Herman Mulier 10 March 1865 Witmarsum, Netherlands |
| Died | 12 April 1954 (aged 89) The Hague, Netherlands |
| Resting place | Cemetery of Montjuïc |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Citizenship | Dutch |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | The pioneer of modern sport in the Netherlands |
Willem Johan Herman Mulier, known as Pim Mulier (10 March 1865 – 12 April 1954) was one of the leading figures in the sporting history of the Netherlands.[1]
He was a co-founder of the oldest football club still in existence in the Netherlands, Koninklijke HFC in 1879, and the founder of the first tennis club in the Netherlands in 1884. He also organized the first athletics competition in 1886 and he was the founder of the Dutch Football and Athletics Association in 1889, which became NVB within a few years when athletics was abandoned, much to his sorrow.[2] In 1890 he ice skated past eleven cities in Friesland, which became a precursor to the Elfstedentocht, and he even designed the medal for participation himself.[1] In 1891, Mulier, with the assistance of Charles Goodman Tebbutt, introduced bandy to the Netherlands and subsequently also introduced hockey, which emerged from that bandy.[1] He was also involved in the founding of the International Skating Union, of which he was President from 1892 until 1895.[3] Mulier was the major pioneer in establishing and promoting cricket and football in the Netherlands as he founded clubs in both sports.[4] He was the first chairman of the Football Association, the Athletics Association, and of Koninklijke HFC, and the first secretary of the Dutch Association for Physical Education.[2] Mulier was also instrumental in organizing events within various sports, such as the Eleven Cities Skating Tour in Friesland and the International Four Days Marches Nijmegen (both in 1909), which are currently among the largest sporting events in the Netherlands.[5] He also played a major role in the founding of the Dutch Olympic Committee in 1912.
Besides being a sports pioneer, he was also known as an expert art collector, skilled draftsman, interior designer, painter, illustrator, journalist, language expert, and expert in the field of inland fishing.[5][6] The importance of his work and his appreciation for it is evidenced by the numerous awards bestowed on him by governments, organizations, and associations, such as the Order of the Netherlands Lion and the Silver Carnations from the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds for the propaganda and related organizational work for many branches of sport.[2][5]
- ^ a b c "Pim Mulier: grondlegger van Nederlandse sport" [Pim Mulier: founder of Dutch sport] (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 10 March 2015. Archived from the original on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ a b c A. van Emmenes (12 November 2013). "Mulier, Willem Johan Herman (1865–1954)". resources.huygens.knaw.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
- ^ "Olympedia – Pim Mulier". www.olympedia.org. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "Pim Mulier Profile - Cricket Player Netherlands". www.espncricinfo.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ a b c "W.J.H. (Pim) Mulier (1865 – 1954)". www.kennisbanksportenbewegen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "Discover amateur draftsperson, amateur painter, illustrator Pim Mulier". rkd.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.