Leonardus Alexander Ferydoun "Leo" Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn (born 18 October 1962 in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

) is a Dutch-Persian

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

and

museum director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

. In 1988 Barjesteh established himself as an independent publisher, specialising in history, culture and

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

. He is also co-founder (2000) and since 2017 president of the

International Qajar Studies Association The International Qajar Studies Association (IQSA) is an association specialised in the study of the Qajar Era and the Qajar dynasty. The association organises conferences, study days, lectures, cultural events and exhibitions, publishes books, a J ...

and has been editor-in-chief of its journal (Qajar Studies) since the first issue in 2000. Also in 2000, he was (together with Jan Bomans, lieutenant colonel Eppo Brongers and Ad Vermeulen) one of the initiators of the monument for

Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange John William Friso ( nl, Johan Willem Friso; 14 August 1687 – 14 July 1711) became the (titular) Prince of Orange in 1702. He was the Stadtholder of Friesland and Groningen in the Dutch Republic until his death by accidental drowning in the H ...

(1687-1711) at the

Moerdijk Moerdijk () is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. History The municipality of Moerdijk was founded in 1997 following the merger of the municipalities of Fijnaart en Heijningen, Klundert ...

Genealogical projects

In 2007 together with and Toon van Gestel he initiated the first large-scale

genetic genealogy Genetic genealogy is the use of genealogical DNA tests, i.e., DNA profiling and DNA testing, in combination with traditional genealogical methods, to infer genetic relationships between individuals. This application of genetics came to be used b ...

project in the Netherlands, the Project Genetische Genealogie in Nederland. Over the years the project had 1,500 participants. The project focussed on the Y-chromosomal DNA and at that time was unique as it combined genetic profiles with

pedigree Pedigree may refer to: Breeding * Pedigree chart, a document to record ancestry, used by genealogists in study of human family lines, and in selective breeding of other animals ** Pedigree, a human genealogy (ancestry chart) ** Pedigree (animal ...

lines going back centuries. The first combined DNA-results and genealogies were published in Zonen van Adam in Nederland in 2008. The publication of the book Honderd Schiedamse Families in 2010 led to an accompanying exhibition: Rijkdom van de stad. The exhibition inspired the foundation of a museum for family history. After purchasing an old monastery in

Eijsden Eijsden (; li, Èèsjde ) is a village situated in the very south of the European country the Netherlands. It is located in the southwestern part of the province of Limburg. Until 1 January 2011, Eijsden was the main village in a municipality ...

, Limburg, Barjesteh in 2013 founded the

International Museum for Family History The Internationaal Museum voor Familiegeschiedenis (known in English as the International Museum for Family History, or in short "The Family Museum") is a museum located in the former Ursuline Convent in Eijsden, Netherlands. As a museum with a fo ...

in the Ursulinenconvent.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barjesteh, Leo Dutch genealogists Living people 1962 births Directors of museums in Rotterdam Dutch non-fiction writers Dutch people of Iranian descent