Dear all,

We deeply regret to inform you that Hans de Rijk, founding member in 1978
and honorary member of the Netherlands' Sundial Society, passed away on
November 23, at the age of 95. He served in the Board of the Society for
many years and wrote some 150 articles in its Bulletin. Among these were
important contributions, such as a latitude independent sundial, and the
family of equator projection dials. A more playful result of his creativity
were 'postcard dials', which he used to design while waiting for his
Chinese take-away dinner.

Hans was a popularizer of mathematics and astronomy and wrote many books
about these subjects, under the pseudonym Bruno Ernst. His motto was:
"Nescius omnium curiosus sum", I don't know anything but I am anxious to
know everything. His eagerness to learn was equalled by his striving and
ability to teach. He has been a teacher of mathematics and physics, founded
the mathematics magazine 'Pythagoras' and the physics magazine
'Archimedes', aimed at secondary school students. He founded the first
public astronomical observatory in the Netherlands. He also founded the
organization 'Ars et mathesis', where art and mathematics meet, and its
magazine with the same name. He became friends with the famous Dutch artist
Maurits Cornelis Escher and wrote several books about Escher's work. Later
on, he wrote extensively about impossible figures.

Planetoid 11245 bears his name.

We lose a generous, inspiring, modest and productive diallist and friend.

If you would like to contact his family directly, the address for
correspondence is:
Stationsstraat 114
3511 EJ Utrecht
The Netherlands

On behalf of the Netherlands' Sundial Society,
Frans Maes
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