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Lili Bleeker
Dr Caroline Emilie "Lili" Bleeker (17 January 1897 – 8 November 1985) was a Dutch entrepreneur and physicist from Middelburg known for her designs and the manufacturing of optical instruments. She would emerge as one of the first women in the Netherlands to become a doctor in physics and mathematics. After earning her PhD, she founded a physics consultancy firm, which served as an influence for the formation of TNO, and extended her firm by establishing a small factory where scientific and optical instruments were produced.
Dr Bleeker's firm took a huge hit during the Second World War. Bleeker, along with her partner Gerard Willemse had to go into hiding due to her successfully hiding Jews from the German raids on her factory. Because of her actions in the war, Bleeker was awarded the Royal Distinction by the Dutch army, and was later granted a recovery loan by the government to open up a new factory in Zeist.
Her company manufactured the optical instruments required for the development of Zernike's phase contrast microscope. Zernike received the Nobel Prize for this in 1953, with Bleeker holding the patents on the design.
Caroline Bleeker was born on 17 January 1897 as the youngest of five children to John Lambert Bleeker, a local Lutheran preacher, and Martha Gerhardina Döhne, a housewife. She grew up in Middelburg and showed great brilliance as a young child, skipping a year in primary school. Although Bleeker was a top student, she was discouraged by her mother from continuing her studies. However, Bleeker had her sights set on education.
In 1916, she enrolled at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands to study physics and astronomy. Bleeker became a teacher at an all-girls secondary school to pay her tuition, but soon left to become a private tutor, feeling that she was too young. In 1919, she became a laboratory assistant at the Sonnenborgh Observatory, and on 1 January 1926 was named as sole head assistant. On the 5th November 1928 she earned her PhD in physics Cum laude from Utrecht University with Professor Leonard Ornstein, who described her as 'very intelligent and well educated, both theoretically and experimentally.' Bleeker's Ph.D. thesis was on measurements of emission and dispersion in the series spectra of alkali metals. The printing office that printed her thesis was owned by the father of her fellow student and later life partner, Gerard Willemse.
On 5 June 1930, eighteen months after receiving her degree, Dr Bleeker started a successful physics consultancy which advised companies and industries on scientific instruments. Her consultancy firm served as a model for the foundation of TNO in 1932. Dr Bleeker then opened a factory for the construction of scientific and optical equipment. The company's original focus was hardware for the laboratory and precision electric measuring instruments. However, in 1936, Dr Bleeker decided to start an optical workshop, and in 1937 started production on optical instruments. She was part of the vanguard for the burgeoning optical industry in the Netherlands, and worked closely with others in the field, such as Bram van Heel, who helped start the first Dutch optics department at the TU Delft.
In 1938, Dr Bleeker entered negotiations to develop prism binoculars for the Dutch military. However, the contract was cancelled after the German occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, to prevent German use of the technology. Almost all other orders were also cancelled. The company also shrank in terms of staff due to evacuations, and was only kept open due to Jewish people in hiding in the building. In 1944, the Nazi Feldgendarmerie raided the building. Dr Bleeker and Willemse were arrested and interrogated, but Willemse's father was caught with proofs of the illegality. Dr Bleeker supplied prism binoculars for the Resistance and, after her company was looted, had to go into hiding herself.
Immediately after the liberation, the factory was cleaned up and restarted with the help of most of the employees. Dr Bleeker received a royal distinction and repair credit from the Dutch government. The factory was also given a different name: "Nederlandsche Optiek- en Instrumentenfabriek" or NEDOPTIFA. The company was located in three buildings on the Korte Nieuwstraat in Utrecht.
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Lili Bleeker
Dr Caroline Emilie "Lili" Bleeker (17 January 1897 – 8 November 1985) was a Dutch entrepreneur and physicist from Middelburg known for her designs and the manufacturing of optical instruments. She would emerge as one of the first women in the Netherlands to become a doctor in physics and mathematics. After earning her PhD, she founded a physics consultancy firm, which served as an influence for the formation of TNO, and extended her firm by establishing a small factory where scientific and optical instruments were produced.
Dr Bleeker's firm took a huge hit during the Second World War. Bleeker, along with her partner Gerard Willemse had to go into hiding due to her successfully hiding Jews from the German raids on her factory. Because of her actions in the war, Bleeker was awarded the Royal Distinction by the Dutch army, and was later granted a recovery loan by the government to open up a new factory in Zeist.
Her company manufactured the optical instruments required for the development of Zernike's phase contrast microscope. Zernike received the Nobel Prize for this in 1953, with Bleeker holding the patents on the design.
Caroline Bleeker was born on 17 January 1897 as the youngest of five children to John Lambert Bleeker, a local Lutheran preacher, and Martha Gerhardina Döhne, a housewife. She grew up in Middelburg and showed great brilliance as a young child, skipping a year in primary school. Although Bleeker was a top student, she was discouraged by her mother from continuing her studies. However, Bleeker had her sights set on education.
In 1916, she enrolled at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands to study physics and astronomy. Bleeker became a teacher at an all-girls secondary school to pay her tuition, but soon left to become a private tutor, feeling that she was too young. In 1919, she became a laboratory assistant at the Sonnenborgh Observatory, and on 1 January 1926 was named as sole head assistant. On the 5th November 1928 she earned her PhD in physics Cum laude from Utrecht University with Professor Leonard Ornstein, who described her as 'very intelligent and well educated, both theoretically and experimentally.' Bleeker's Ph.D. thesis was on measurements of emission and dispersion in the series spectra of alkali metals. The printing office that printed her thesis was owned by the father of her fellow student and later life partner, Gerard Willemse.
On 5 June 1930, eighteen months after receiving her degree, Dr Bleeker started a successful physics consultancy which advised companies and industries on scientific instruments. Her consultancy firm served as a model for the foundation of TNO in 1932. Dr Bleeker then opened a factory for the construction of scientific and optical equipment. The company's original focus was hardware for the laboratory and precision electric measuring instruments. However, in 1936, Dr Bleeker decided to start an optical workshop, and in 1937 started production on optical instruments. She was part of the vanguard for the burgeoning optical industry in the Netherlands, and worked closely with others in the field, such as Bram van Heel, who helped start the first Dutch optics department at the TU Delft.
In 1938, Dr Bleeker entered negotiations to develop prism binoculars for the Dutch military. However, the contract was cancelled after the German occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, to prevent German use of the technology. Almost all other orders were also cancelled. The company also shrank in terms of staff due to evacuations, and was only kept open due to Jewish people in hiding in the building. In 1944, the Nazi Feldgendarmerie raided the building. Dr Bleeker and Willemse were arrested and interrogated, but Willemse's father was caught with proofs of the illegality. Dr Bleeker supplied prism binoculars for the Resistance and, after her company was looted, had to go into hiding herself.
Immediately after the liberation, the factory was cleaned up and restarted with the help of most of the employees. Dr Bleeker received a royal distinction and repair credit from the Dutch government. The factory was also given a different name: "Nederlandsche Optiek- en Instrumentenfabriek" or NEDOPTIFA. The company was located in three buildings on the Korte Nieuwstraat in Utrecht.