In this section I present the Biography and Photograph Collection of Charles Emile Benjamins, 1873-1940, my maternal grandfather, after whom I am named.

My grandfather was a man with many talents: a skilled medical researcher; an ear nose throat surgeon; a developer of medical tools; an organizer of international medical meetings; a gifted pianist and composer, a skilled photographer and a tireless traveler and above all an amiable person with a great interest in and compassion for his fellow man, an inspiring teacher and a clever organizer, who easily mobilized people.

Charles Emile’s biography is complimented by a collection of 146 of his photographs, of which he took 124, in the period 1901-1911 when living in Semarang, Java in which town he was a medical practitioner.

          The collection starts with photographs of his family, house and clinic. This is followed by photographs of Semarang town and of his travels in Central Java: Dieng plateau and the Borobudur temple complex and in East Java with images of Surabaya, Tretes, Batu and the Bromo mountains.

          In addition the collection contains photographs from his youth 1880-1892 and of his life after returning to the Netherlands, 1911-1940, including images from ORLAS, an international organization of ORL specialists, which organization was founded by my grandfather and of which organization he was the first Secretary General and driving force from 1926 to 1939.

CHARLES EMILE BENJAMINS 1873-1940

A medical doctor’s experiences

Semarang, Java 1901-1911 general physician
Utrecht, the Netherlands 1911- 1923 ORL specialist
Groningen, the Netherlands1924-1939
Professor of Otorhinolaryngology and founder of
Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum

Including a selection of
Charles Emile’s photograph collection Semarang: 1901-1911

Charles Emile van Santen
Bogor, Java
May 2007

Contents

Introduction

1. Youth: 1873-1900.

2. Semarang, Java: General Physician 1901-1911

3. Utrecht, the Netherlands, ORL specialist 1912-1923.

4. Groningen, the Netherlands, Professor of Otorhinolaryngology 1924-1940

5. Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum-ORLAS,
Founder and Secretary General 1926-1939.

-References
-Maps:
1. Central Java Province: Locations visited by Charles Emile 1901-1911
2. East Java Province:      Locations visited by Charles Emile 1901-1911
-Annexes

1. Frederika Sorg, 1933: A biographic Note: The family Sorg Benjamins:
A) Summary in English and B) The original in the Dutch language

2. A biographic Note: Christina Catharina Hazenberg 1876-1976

3. A note on Bodjongse weg no 6-Jalan Pemuda no 6. Situation in 1985

4. A selection of photographs from Charles Emile Benjamins 1880-1939

5. Municipal Orchestra Groningen Concert 3 May 1938:
Diana Suite for symphony orchestra by Charles Emile Benjamins