Lodewijk Woltjer (26 April 1930 – 25 August 2019) was an

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

, and the son of astronomer Jan Woltjer. He studied at the

University of Leiden Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange as a Protestant institution, it holds the distinction of being the oldest university in the Neth ...

under Jan Oort earning a PhD in

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

in 1957 with a thesis on the

Crab Nebula The Crab Nebula (catalogue designations M1, NGC 1952, Taurus A) is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus (constellation), Taurus. The common name comes from a drawing that somewhat resembled a crab with arm ...

. This was followed by post-doctoral research appointments to various American universities and the subsequent appointment of professor of theoretical astrophysics and plasma physics in the University of Leiden. From 1964 to 1974 he was Rutherford Professor of Astronomy and Chair of the Astronomy Department at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. From 1975 to 1987 he was Director General of the

European Southern Observatory The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, commonly referred to as the European Southern Observatory (ESO), is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental research organisation made up of 16 m ...

(ESO), where he initiated the construction of the

Very Large Telescope The Very Large Telescope (VLT) is an astronomical facility operated since 1998 by the European Southern Observatory, located on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. It consists of four individual telescopes, each equipped with ...

. In 1994–1997 he was President of the

International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; , UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and developmen ...

. Woltjer was honored in 1987 with the Karl Schwarzschild Medal. He was the first Editor-in-Chief of

The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review ''The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that is published quarterly by Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. The editor-in-chief is Francesca Matteucci. The first issue was published in Apri ...

, inaugurated in 1989; and also the Editor of

the Astronomical Journal ''The Astronomical Journal'' (often abbreviated ''AJ'' in scientific papers and references) is a peer-reviewed monthly scientific journal owned by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and currently published by IOP Publishing. It is one of the p ...

in 1967 to 1974. Dr. Woltjer has been honored by membership in a number of European Academies of Sciences, including Belgian, British, Dutch, French, and Swedish.Léna (1992)

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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Woltjer, Lodewijk 1930 births 2019 deaths 20th-century Dutch astronomers Leiden University alumni Academic staff of Leiden University Columbia University faculty Members of the French Academy of Sciences Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Foreign members of the Russian Academy of Sciences People from Noordwijk The Astronomical Journal editors Presidents of the International Astronomical Union Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences