C. U. Ariëns Kappers Explained

Cornelius Ubbo Ariëns Kappers (9 August 1877 – 28 July 1946) was a Dutch neurologist and anatomist.

Life

As a student, Ariëns Kappers was influenced by the work of the German neurologist Ludwig Edinger (1855–1918) and Dutch anatomist Louis Bolk (1866–1930). During his career, he amassed around 450 whole brains from over 300 species and over 30,000 brain slices.

In 1909, Ariëns Kappers became the first director of the Netherlands Central Institute for Brain Research (Nederlands Instituut voor Hersenonderzoek), a position he maintained until his death in 1946. During his tenure, the institute became a center internationally renowned for its work in comparative neuroanatomy.

In 1922 he became member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.^[1]

In the Second World War he used his expertise in Phrenology as proof that certain persons couldn't be Jewish, thereby saving them from German persecution and death. He was honored by Yad Vashem in 2017 as a Righteous of Nations. ^[2]

Family

In 1937 he married Mme B. Lehmann von Hunteln.^[3]

Scientific Recognition

Two scientific awards are named in his honour:

• the Ariëns Kappers Medal for landmark contributions to neuroscience, awarded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences;
• the C. U. Ariëns Kappers Prize for the best neurology-related publication by a PhD student, awarded by the Dutch Neurological Society (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Neurologie).

Selected written works

• De banen en centra in de hersenen der teleostiers en selachiers
• Untersuchungen über das Gehirn der Ganoiden Amia calva und Lepidosteus osseus
• "The migrations of the motor cells of the bulbar trigeminus, abducens and facialis in the series of vertebrates, and the differences in the course of their root-fibres"
• Die vergleichende Anatomie des Nervensystems der Wirbeltiere und des Menschen .
• Zielsinzicht en levensopbouw
• "Three lectures on neurobiotaxis and other subjects delivered at the University of Copenhagen"
• Vergleichende Anatomie des Nervensystems
• "The evolution of the nervous system in invertebrates, vertebrates and man"
• "The anthropology of the Near East"
• "An introduction to the anthropology of the Near East in ancient and recent times"
• Reiziger in breinen: herinneringen van een hersenonderzoeker
• Nervensystem ^[4]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cornelius Ubbo Ariëns Kappers (1877 - 1946) . Dutch . Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences . 16 July 2015.
2. File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/12996) http://db.yadvashem.org/righteous/righteousName.html?language=en&itemId=11027923
3. Book: Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002. July 2006. The Royal Society of Edinburgh. 0-902-198-84-X. 3 February 2017. 24 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf. dead.
4. http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no2001-19150 World Cat identities