Geert Wilders

Wilders in 2015, photo by Robert Hoetink/Bigstock.com

Place of Birth: Venlo, Netherlands

Date of Birth: 6 September, 1963

Ethnicity: Dutch, as well as approximately 1/32 German, possibly remote English

Geert Wilders is a Dutch politician. He is the founder of the right-wing Party for Freedom, and has served as its leader, since 22 February, 2006. He has been a Member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, since 26 July, 2002, and previously, from 25 August, 1998 to 23 May, 2002, and Leader of the Party for Freedom in the House, since 23 November, 2006. He is known for his anti-Islam and anti-EU views. He was a speechwriter and parliamentary assistant for conservative-liberal party VVD, and wrote the controversial short film Fitna.

Geert is the son of Maria Anne (Ording) and Johannes Henricus Andreas Wilders, a manager for Océ, a printing and copying manufacturing company. He has Dutch, and approximately 1/32 German, ancestry. He may have remote English roots through the surname Barrett. He was raised Catholic, and left the church during his teen years. Geert is married to diplomat Krisztina (Márfai), who is from Hungary.

While Geert has many ancestors who were born in Indonesia, it does not appear that he has any Asian Indonesian ancestry.

Geert’s paternal grandfather was Mathijs Wilders (the son of Willem Gisbert Wilders and Christina Anna Janssen). Mathijs was born in Venlo, Limburg. Willem was the son of Petrus/Pieter Mathias/Mathijs/Matthijs Wilders and Petronella Janssen. Christina was the daughter of Mathijs Janssen and Hendrina Hanraets.

Geert’s paternal grandmother was Helena Jacoba Maria Kloosterman (the daughter of Johannes Kloosterman and Wilhelmina Wensveen). Helena was born in Wassenaar, Wassenaar, South Holland. Johannes was the son of Andries Kloosterman and Jacoba van der Kleij. Wilhelmina was the daughter of Pieter Wensveen and Helena van der Drift.

Geert’s maternal grandfather was Johannes Hendrikus/Henrikus Ording (the son of Wilhelmus Hendrikus/Henrikus Ording and Lena Lida/Alida Hoolhorst). Johannes was born in Utrecht, Utrecht. Wilhelmus was the son of Johannes Hendrikus/Henrikus Ording, whose father was German, and of Anna Christina Koppers. Lena was the daughter of Johannes Matheus/Mattheus Odolphus/Adolphus Hoolhorst and Lena Maat.

Geert’s maternal grandmother was Johanna Magdalena Meijer (the daughter of Levinus François Meijer and Johanna Maria Canter Visscher). Geert’s grandmother Johanna was born in Batavia, Dutch East Indies, now Jakarta, Indonesia. Levinus was born in Batavia, Netherlands, the son of Levinus François Henri Meijer and Lady Florentia Wilhelmina Johanna Francina Goldman; Lady Florentia was born in Batavia, and had Dutch, and a small amount of German, ancestry. Geert’s great-grandmother Johanna Visscher was born in Serang, Indonesia, the daughter of Johannes Albertus/Albert Canter Visscher and Elisabeth Bachet, and was of Dutch descent.

Geert has distant ancestors with the surname Goldman; though the name is often of Jewish heritage, Geert’s lineage traces back to a man named Johan Christiaan Goldman/Goldmann, who was of, non-Jewish, German descent. There are also claims on the internet that Geert has Jewish ancestry through one of his mother’s lines, the Meijer family. Geert’s last traceable Meijer ancestor was Johannes Bernardus Meijer, who was born, c. 1783, in Haarlem, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. There is no particular evidence that Johannes was Jewish. Meijer can commonly be a non-Jewish Dutch name.

Sources: Genealogies of Geert Wilders – http://www.familyaffairs.nl
http://geneagraphie.com
https://www.geni.com