Eddie Hertzberger
Encyclopedia
Eddie Hertzberger was a wealthy Dutch
industrialist and racecar driver. He won the 1936
Frontières
Grand Prix
for sports cars at Chimay
, Belgium
, and the 1937
Voiturette
race at the same event. He also competed in the 1935
and 1937
24 Hours of Le Mans
races. In the twenties Hertzberger also did some boxing
, while he did a lot of sailing
and skiing
throughout his life.
Hertzberger owned cars like a Bugatti
Brescia, with which he participated in the 12-hour night drive organised by the KNAC (Royal Dutch Automobile Club) in September 1926, the MG Magnette K3
, a 4.5 litre Bentley
and an Aston Martin
. He restricted his racing to England
, France
, Italy
and Belgium
, with motor racing in the Netherlands virtually non-existent, and Jews not allowed to participate in motor racing in Nazi Germany
.
At Monthléry, Hertzberger managed to break some speed records in his K3. He also started in the Mille Miglia
and at Le Mans
. He quit racing in 1938 after getting married, although he made a surprise appearance at Zandvoort
in 1953.
Hertzberger is the only Dutch Grand Prix
winner to date.
during the bombardment of Rotterdam
that prompted the surrender of Holland to the Nazis. Hertzberger escaped the Netherlands through Belgium and France to Switzerland
, where he stayed for more than a year. Later he travelled through Vichy France
to reach Spain
. In Madrid
Hertzberger became a member of the intelligence service of the Dutch
government, which was based in London
during WWII.
After the war, Hertzberger rebuilt his factory and lived both in the Netherlands and New York
. Later he moved to Switzerland, where he died in 1993.
His wife, Eleonore Hertzberger-Katz (born 1917), wrote a book about their hazardous journeys, which was reprinted in Dutch in June 2003.
Eddie Hertzberger's granddaughter Gwendolyn also races. She currently competes in Formula Renault
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
industrialist and racecar driver. He won the 1936
1936 Grand Prix Season
The 1936 Grand Prix season was the fourth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Bernd Rosemeyer, driving for the Auto Union team...
Frontières
Grand Prix des Frontières
The Grand Prix des Frontières was a motor race held at Chimay in Belgium. The race was created by Jules Buisseret, who was also responsible for the circuit's existence...
Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
for sports cars at Chimay
Chimay
Chimay a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006, Chimay had a total population of 9,774. The total area is 197.10 km² which gives a population density of 50 inhabitants per km²...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and the 1937
1937 Grand Prix Season
The 1937 Grand Prix season was the fifth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team...
Voiturette
Voiturette
Voiturette is a word mostly used to describe a miniature automobile; however, it has several nuanced meanings, depending largely on the usage date.-History:...
race at the same event. He also competed in the 1935
1935 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1935 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 13th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 15 and 16 June 1935.-Official results:-Did not finish:-Statistics:* Fastest Lap – #10 Earl Howe – 5:47.9* Distance – 3006.797 km...
and 1937
1937 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 14th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 19 and 20 June 1937.This race saw the death of two drivers in a single accident...
24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
races. In the twenties Hertzberger also did some boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, while he did a lot of sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
throughout his life.
Hertzberger owned cars like a Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
Brescia, with which he participated in the 12-hour night drive organised by the KNAC (Royal Dutch Automobile Club) in September 1926, the MG Magnette K3
MG Magnette
The automobile manufacturer MG used the Magnette name on the K-type and N-type cars in the 1930s, but the Magnette models of the 1950s and 1960s are probably best-remembered...
, a 4.5 litre Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
and an Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
. He restricted his racing to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, with motor racing in the Netherlands virtually non-existent, and Jews not allowed to participate in motor racing in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
At Monthléry, Hertzberger managed to break some speed records in his K3. He also started in the Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
and at Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
. He quit racing in 1938 after getting married, although he made a surprise appearance at Zandvoort
Zandvoort
Zandvoort is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Zandvoort is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach, bordered by coastal dunes...
in 1953.
Hertzberger is the only Dutch Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
winner to date.
Personal life
Hertzberger owned a successful clothing factory in Rotterdam. The factory, including his Bugatti Stelvio #57519 which was parked inside, was completely destroyed at the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
during the bombardment of Rotterdam
Rotterdam Blitz
The Rotterdam Blitz refers to the aerial bombardment of Rotterdam by the German Air Force on 14 May 1940, during the German invasion of the Netherlands in World War II. The objective was to support the German troops fighting in the city, break Dutch resistance and force the Dutch to surrender...
that prompted the surrender of Holland to the Nazis. Hertzberger escaped the Netherlands through Belgium and France to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he stayed for more than a year. Later he travelled through Vichy France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
to reach Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
Hertzberger became a member of the intelligence service of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
government, which was based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during WWII.
After the war, Hertzberger rebuilt his factory and lived both in the Netherlands and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Later he moved to Switzerland, where he died in 1993.
His wife, Eleonore Hertzberger-Katz (born 1917), wrote a book about their hazardous journeys, which was reprinted in Dutch in June 2003.
Eddie Hertzberger's granddaughter Gwendolyn also races. She currently competes in Formula Renault
Formula Renault
Formula Renault is a class of formula racing founded in 1971. It is popular in Europe and other countries. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it is a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to Formula Three, World Series by Renault, GP2 or...
.
Major career victories
- 19361936 Grand Prix SeasonThe 1936 Grand Prix season was the fourth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Bernd Rosemeyer, driving for the Auto Union team...
FrontièresGrand Prix des FrontièresThe Grand Prix des Frontières was a motor race held at Chimay in Belgium. The race was created by Jules Buisseret, who was also responsible for the circuit's existence...
Grand PrixGrand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver... - 19371937 Grand Prix SeasonThe 1937 Grand Prix season was the fifth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team...
FrontièresGrand Prix des FrontièresThe Grand Prix des Frontières was a motor race held at Chimay in Belgium. The race was created by Jules Buisseret, who was also responsible for the circuit's existence...
Voiturettes race