Adriaan Hendrik Johan Prins (1921 – 11 February 2000) was a Dutch Africanist and maritime

anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...

. He was a recipient of many research grants and fellowships (

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...

, the Netherlands Organization for Pure Research, etc.), Prins was frequently consulted by the Dutch government and royal court, who valued his wealth of knowledge about the peoples and cultures of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. In addition to scores of encyclopedia entries and dozens of scholarly articles in a wide range of international journals such as '' Anthropos'', ''

Man A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...

'', ''

Human Organization ''Human Organization'' is the peer-reviewed research journal of the Society for Applied Anthropology. Published quarterly since 1941, it is the second-longest continuously published journal in cultural anthropology in the United States. Its prima ...

'', and ''The Mariner’s Mirror'', Prins regularly published in Dutch newspapers and magazines. Moreover, he illustrated many of his books and articles with his ethnographic photographs, sketches, and pen drawings.

Early life and education

Prins studied social geography and

ethnology Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Sci ...

at the

University of Utrecht Utrecht University (UU; , formerly ''Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht'') is a public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established , it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2023, it had an enrollment of 39,769 students, a ...

under Prof. Dr. Henri Th. Fischer. In 1943, the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

occupying forces ordered Dutch students and faculty to sign a "loyalty declaration". Like many others, Prins refused and joined the

resistance movement A resistance movement is an organized group of people that tries to resist or try to overthrow a government or an occupying power, causing disruption and unrest in civil order and stability. Such a movement may seek to achieve its goals through ei ...

, ultimately becoming chief of intelligence in the VIth Brigade (Veluwe). He was known as "Peter", his ''

nom de guerre A ''nom de guerre'' (, 'war name') is a pseudonym chosen by someone to use when they are involved in a particular activity, especially fighting in a war. In Ancien régime, ''ancien régime'' Kingdom of France, France it would be adopted by each n ...

''. Following the 1944

Battle of Arnhem The Battle of Arnhem was fought during the Second World War, as part of the Allies of World War II, Allied Operation Market Garden. It took place around the Netherlands, Dutch city of Arnhem and vicinity from 17 to 26 September 1944. The Alli ...

, he was incorporated into the British Intelligence Section (

MI9 MI9, the British Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 9, was a secret department of the War Office between 1939 and 1945. During World War II it had two principal tasks: assisting in the escape of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) held b ...

), a department of the War Office tasked with aiding resistance fighters in enemy-occupied territories. Given the rank of first lieutenant, he served in the Intelligence Branch of the General Staff of the

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...

, commanded by Montgomery. After

demobilization Demobilization or demobilisation (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or becaus ...

in 1945, he resumed graduate studies at Utrecht. A year later, having acquired his ''doctoraal'' degree, he became a

research assistant A research assistant (RA) is a researcher employed, often on a temporary contract, by a university, research institute, or privately held organization to provide assistance in academic or private research endeavors. Research assistants work under ...

at Utrecht's Institute of Ethnology under Fischer. In 1947, he received a

fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

ship at the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

for

social anthropology Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In t ...

training under

Raymond Firth Sir Raymond William Firth (25 March 1901 – 22 February 2002) was an ethnologist from New Zealand. As a result of Firth's ethnographic work, actual behaviour of societies (social organization) is separated from the idealized rules of behavio ...

Siegfried Nadel Siegfried Frederick Nadel (24 April 1903 – 14 January 1956) was a British anthropologist, specialising in African ethnology. Early life and education Siegfried Ferdinand Stephan Nadel was born on 24 April 1903 in Lemberg (Lviv), Galicia, par ...

, and

Audrey Richards Audrey Isabel Richards, CBE, FRAI, FBA (8 July 1899 – 29 June 1984), was a pioneering British social anthropologist. She produced notable ethnographic studies, the most famous of which is ''Chisungu: A Girl's initiation ceremony among the B ...

. Then, equipped with language training in

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language officially used in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes. * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa. * Swahili culture, the culture of the Swahili p ...

, he travelled to

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

as a British Colonial Fellow for

ethnographic Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

research in the Teita Hills. Guided by Senior District Commissioner Harold E. Lambert, an

and

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...

specialized in the Swahili and

Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: *Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya * Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Cen ...

languages, Prins began his fieldwork. Later, he dedicated one of his books to Lambert. Although Prins focused initially on British anthropological topics, such as

kinship In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Anthropologist Robin Fox says that ...

and

social structure In the social sciences, social structure is the aggregate of patterned social arrangements in society that are both emergent from and determinant of the actions of individuals. Likewise, society is believed to be grouped into structurally rel ...

, his enduring interest concerned the

maritime history Maritime history is the study of human interaction with and activity at sea. It covers a broad thematic element of history that often uses a global approach, although national and regional histories remain predominant. As an academic subject, it ...

and cultural ecology of

seafaring Seamanship is the skill, art, competence (human resources), competence, and knowledge of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, o ...

peoples.

Career

In 1951, two years before earning his PhD from

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

, Prins was hired as the first anthropologist at the

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; , abbreviated as RUG) is a Public university#Continental Europe, public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen (city), Groningen, Netherlands. Founded in 1614, th ...

, where he later became the founding director of the Institute of Cultural Anthropology. Although he lectured at many institutions in Europe, East Africa, and the Middle East, he remained there until his retirement in 1984.

Fieldwork

A committed fieldworker, Prins made numerous journeys abroad during and after his

tenure Tenure is a type of academic appointment that protects its holder from being fired or laid off except for cause, or under extraordinary circumstances such as financial exigency or program discontinuation. Academic tenure originated in the United ...

Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...

. In 1957, he began studying

dhows Dhow (; ) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically sporting long thin hulls, dhows are trading vessels ...

, the lateen-rigged sailing ships of the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

and how they operate, first in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

, then on the coast of

Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...

and Tanganyika (1957, 1965–66, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971). Other projects involved research in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

(1954–55),

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

(1957),

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

(1959), the

(1970, 1973),

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

and

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

(1961–62, 1970),

South Arabia South Arabia (), or Greater Yemen, is a historical region that consists of the southern region of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia, mainly centered in what is now the Republic of Yemen, yet it has also historically included Najran, Jazan, ...

(1970, 1973),

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

(1972, 1974). One of the founders of the Arctic Centre at Groningen University, he made annual research trips to northern

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

from 1968 to 1992, and beginning in 1970 traveled to

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

and made frequent journeys to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

island of

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

Retirement

After his retirement in 1984, the

Dutch government The Netherlands is a parliamentary representative democracy. A constitutional monarchy, the country is organised as a decentralised unitary state.''Civil service systems in Western Europe'' edited by A. J. G. M. Bekke, Frits M. Meer, Edward E ...

restructured higher education and terminated the anthropological institute at

Groningen University The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; , abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen, Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is the second oldest in the country (after ...

. As an Emeritus Professor, Prins continued various maritime and cultural-historical research projects. He died on 11 February 2000, after five years of illness, the result of a debilitating stroke. Buried in

Noordlaren Noordlaren is a village in the municipality of Groningen in the Dutch province of Groningen. It had a population of around 545 in 2021. In 2010 it was said to be 850 years old. In the past Noordlaren was a farming village. Nowadays there are still ...

near "Huis ter Aa," his family home in the old rural village of

Glimmen Glimmen is a village in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Groningen, about 10 kilometres from the city. It had a population of around 1,342 in 2021. The river Drentsche Aa flows past the village, nearby the ''Huis t ...

south of

City, he was survived by his wife Ita (P.A.C. Prins-Poorter, 1921–2016), nine children, and sixteen grandchildren.

Selected publications

* ''The Coastal Tribes of the Northeastern Bantu: Pokomo, Nyika, Teita'' (1952). * ''East-African Age-Class Systems: An Inquiry into the Social Order of the Galla, Kipsigis and Kikuyu'' (1953; reprinted by the Negro Press in 1970) * "An Analysis of

Kinship Terminology." ''Journal of the East African Swahili Committee'' Vol.26:20-27 (1956); Continued, Ibid. Vol.28:9-16 (1958). * "On Swahili Historiography." ''Journal of the East African Swahili Committee'' 28:26-40 (1958). * "Uncertainties in Coastal Cultural History: The Ngalawa and the Mtepe." ''Tanganyika Notes and Records'' 63:204-213 (1959). * "The Somaliland Bantu." ''Bulletin of the International Committee on Urgent Anthropological and Ethnological Research'' 3:28-31 (1960). * ''Bibliografie van

Harderwijk Harderwijk (; Dutch Low Saxon: ) is a municipality and city of the Netherlands. It is served by the Harderwijk railway station. Its population centres are Harderwijk and Hierden. Harderwijk is on the western boundary of the Veluwe. The south ...

: Grondslagen voor een verzameling bronnen en publicaties, geannoteerd, bijeengebracht en van een inleiding voorzien'' (1960). * ''The Swahili-speaking Peoples of

and the East Coast of Africa'' (1961, 2nd edition 1967) * "The Didemic Diarchic Boni." ''Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute'' 93:174-186 (1963). * "A Carved Headrest of the Cushitic Boni: An Attempted Interpretation." ''MAN'' Vol.65:189-191 (1965). * ''Sailing from

Lamu Lamu or Lamu Town is a small town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya. Situated by road northeast of Mombasa that ends at Mokowe Jetty, from where the sea channel has to be crossed to reach Lamu Isla ...

: A Study of Maritime Culture in Islamic East Africa'' (1965).Described as "probably the best book ever written on East African maritime culture. It is stuffed full of information on dhow types, construction, rigging, ownership, crewing, and decoration. It even includes some intriguing observations on the cultural meaning of ships to the Swahili" (Gilbert p.9). Gilbert, Erik. 1999. Sailing from Lamu and Back: Labor Migration and Regional Trade in Colonial East Africa. ''Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East'', Vol.XIX (2):9-15. * ''Schippers van

Blokzijl Blokzijl is a small city located southwest of Steenwijk in the province of Overijssel, the Netherlands. The city is a major tourist destination near the De Weerribben-Wieden National Park and attracts many water sports enthusiasts. Blokzijl was ...

: Een Maritime Maatschappij in Miniatuur'' (1969). * "Islamic Maritime Magic: A Ship's Charm from Lamu. Pp.294-304. In: ''Wort und Religion - Kalima na Dini''. (Festschrift fuer Ernst Dammann). Stuttgart:Evangelischer Missionverlag. (1969) * ''A Swahili Nautical Dictionary'' (Preface by

Julius Nyerere Julius Kambarage Nyerere (; 13 April 1922 – 14 October 1999) was a Tanzanian politician, anti-colonial activist, and political theorist. He governed Tanganyika (1961–1964), Tanganyika as prime minister from 1961 to 1962 and then as presid ...

, 1970). * "Dutch Maritime Inventiveness and the Chinese

Leeboard A leeboard is a form of pivoting keel used largely by sailboats, very often in lieu of a fixed keel. Typically mounted in pairs on each side of a hull, leeboards function much like a centreboard, allowing shallow-draft craft to ply waters ...

." ''The Mariner's Mirror'' Vol.56:349-353. (1970) * "Maritime Art in an Islamic Context: Oculus and Therion in Lamu ships." ''The Mariner's Mirror'' Vol.56:327-339. * ''Didemic Lamu: Social Stratification and Spatial Structure in a Muslim Maritime Town.'' Groningen: Instituut voor Culturele Antropologie der Rijksuniversiteit (1971). * "The Shungwaya Problem: Traditional History and Cultural Likeness in

Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...

North-East Africa." ''Anthropos'' Vol.67:1-2,9-35. * "The Maritime Middle East: A Century of Studies." ''The Middle East Journal'' Vol.27:207-219.(1973) * "Development in Arctic Boat Design: Efflorescence or Involution?". pp. 12–30. In: ''Netherlands-Swedish Symposium in Scandinavian Arctic Culture''. Groningen: Arctic Centre (1975). * “The Mtepe of Lamu,

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

and the Zanzibar Sea.” pp. 85–100. In: ''From Zinj to Zanzibar: Studies in History, Trade and Society on the Eastern Coast of Africa.''(In Honour of James Kirkman). Eds. J. de V. Allen and Thomas H. Wilson. Paideuma: Mitteilungen zur Kulturkunde vol.28. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982. * ''

Jan van Schaffelaar Jan van Schaffelaar ( 1445 – 1482) was a cavalry officer in the duchy of Guelders (or Gelre), the Netherlands. Born in the region of Barneveld in the Veluwe Quarter about 1445, he was in the military service of David of Burgundy, the Bishop of ...

: Requiem voor een Gelderse Ruiter'' (1982) * ''Watching the Seaside: Essays on Maritime Anthropology by dr A. H. J. Prins'' (eds. Durk Hak, Ypie Kroes & Hans Schneymann, 1984). * ''Copernicaanse Cultuurkunde: Een Geometrisch Model naar Tri-Sferisch Ontwerp'' (Assen: Van Gorcum, 1984) * "Two Trends of Thought in Turkish Maritime Culture: The Ethical Ship and the Magical Galley." ''The Mariner's Mirror'' Vol.70:45-58. * ''Handbook of Sewn Boats: The Ethnography and Archaeology of Archaic Plank-Built Craft'' (1984). * “The future of maritime research: questions of culture and problems of process.” pp. 1–8, in: ''Sewn plank boats: archaeological and ethnographic papers''. McGrail, Sean; Kentley, Eric, eds. Greenwich, London: National Maritime Museum, Archaeological Series No.10; Oxford: British Archaeological Reports International Series 276. (1985) * ''In Peril on the Sea: Marine Votive Paintings in the Maltese Islands'' (1989). * ''

: Middeleeuwse vanaf de Waterkant'' (1994) * “Mediterranean Ships and Shipping, 1650-1850.” In: ''The Heyday of Sail: The Merchant Sailing Ship 1650-1830'' (1995).

Sources

“From Tropical Africa to Arctic Scandinavia: A. H. J. Prins as Maritime Anthropologist.” In: ''Circumpolar Studies'' 2: 21-28.
* “Dr. A. H. J. Prins as a Maritime Anthropologist: A preliminary appraisal and an introduction.” By Durk Hak, in: ''Watching the Seaside'', 1984:1-10. * ''Anthropology News'', Vol. 41 (4): 92. * ''Anthropology Today'', Vol. 16 (3): 25–26. * ''Focaal: Tijdschrift voor Antropologie'', No.35. * Trouwborst, Albert A. 2000. "In Memoriam Adriaan Hendrik Johan Prins (1921-2000)." ''Facta: Sociaal Wetenschappelijk Magazine'' Vol.5(8):13. * Mulder, Marten. 2010. "Prins, Prof.Dr. Adriaan Hendrik Johan

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prins, A. H. J. 1921 births 2000 deaths People from Harderwijk Dutch Africanists Dutch anthropologists Academic staff of the University of Groningen Utrecht University alumni 20th-century anthropologists Dutch expatriates in the United Kingdom