Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt

Baron
Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt
President of the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR)
In office
1904–1931
Succeeded byRobert de Vogüé
President of the Automobile Club de France
In office
1895–1922
Succeeded byRobert de Vogüé
Personal details
Born
Étienne Gustave Frédéric van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar

(1860-10-16)16 October 1860
Saint-Étienne, near Nice, France
Died8 May 1934(1934-05-08) (aged 73)
Nice, France
NationalityDutch-Belgian
Spouse
​
​
(after 1887)​
RelativesMarie-Hélène de Rothschild (granddaughter)
OccupationBanker, businessman
AwardsLegion of Honour,
Order of Leopold

Étienne Gustave Frédéric, 3rd Baron van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar (16 October 1860 – 8 May 1934), was a Dutch-Belgian banker, businessman, philanthropist, equestrian and car enthusiast. He was a founding member of the Automobile Club de France, serving as the organisation's first president, and was the first president of the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR, later known as the FIA).[1][2]

Personal life

Van Zuylen was born in Saint-Étienne, near Nice, on 16 October 1860, a member of the old Dutch Van Zuylen van Nievelt noble family; he was the 3rd Baron van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar. His father, Gustave, was a diplomat and his grandfather, Jean-Jacques was a former mayor of Bruges. On 16 August 1887, Van Zuylen married Hélène de Rothschild, daughter of Salomon James de Rothschild of the Rothschild banking family of France, in Paris.[3] They had two sons, Egmont and Hélin. Hélin was killed in a car accident in 1912,[4] and Egmont worked as a diplomat; his eldest child was Parisian socialite Marie-Hélène de Rothschild.

In 1890, Van Zuylen inherited the ruined De Haar Castle and set about restoring it. Financed by Rothschild money and directed by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers, work started in 1892 and took 20 years.[5]

Van Zuylen received recognition with appointments as an officer of the Legion of Honour, and as a knight of the Order of Leopold.[6][7]

Van Zuylen died in Nice on 8 May 1934.[8]

Cars and motorsport

With Jules-Albert de Dion and Paul Meyan, Van Zuylen was a founding member of the Automobile Club de France, and served as the organisation's first president between 1895 and 1922. He was also the first president of the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR, English: 'International Association of Recognized Automobile Clubs'), later known as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), holding the position from 1904 until his retirement in 1931.

Equestrian

In June 1900, Van Zuylen took part in the four-in-hand mail coach event during the International Horse Show in Paris. He entered two teams, the second driven by Olivier, Count de La Mazelière. The event was part of the Exposition Universelle, and later classified as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Baron Etienne de Zuylen de Nyevelt". FIA. 28 March 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt". Olympedia. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  3. ^ Marquis of Ruvigny (1914). The Titled Nobility of Europe. Harrison and Sons. p. 1592. ISBN 9780850110289. Retrieved 2 February 2022 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Baron in fatal accident". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 19 December 1912. p. 15. Retrieved 2 February 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Kransberg, Doriann; Mils, Hans (1979). Kastelengids van Nederland. Middeleeuwen (in Dutch). Bussum: Unieboek. pp. 78–80. ISBN 90-228-3856-0.
  6. ^ "Zuylen de Nyevelt". National Archives (in French). France. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  7. ^ Omnia: revue pratique de locomotion (in French). 6 January 1906. p. 373. Retrieved 2 February 2022 – via Gallica.
  8. ^ Goujon, Jean-Paul (1986). Tes blessures sont plus douces que leurs caresses (in French). R. Deforges. p. 188. ISBN 9782905538154. Retrieved 2 February 2022 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020.