International § 9

International societies

Confrérie des Maîtres Pipiers

Saint Claude is a smal town in the French Jura mountains and is renowned for its pipe industry: pipes made out of the hard and fire resisting briar wood. The pipe manufacturers call themselves Maîtres Pipiers and are gathered in a Brotherhood - the Confrérie. Individuals who made a special contribution to the positive imago of the tobacco pipe, can be invited to this selected circle. In a solenm ceremony they are honoured with the title of Confrère des Maîtres Pipiers.

Many Dutch Confrères had a function in the pipe and tobacco trade. Others have another function as ambassador of the pipe and pipe history. For that reason the curator of the Pijpenkabinet in Amsterdam, Don Duco, has been introduced in 1997. The late Georg Brongers, curator of the Niemeyer Tobacco Museum, is also a prolific writer on the history and culture of tobacco, and honoured with this title. The most famous Dutch predecessor is the late Prince Bernhard, husband of Queen Juliana.

List of Confrères in the Netherlands

• Georg A. Brongers, Middelstum, 1970
• Jan Vasterman, Zandvoort, 1972
• Z.K.H. Prins Bernhard der Nederlanden, Soestdijk, 1973
• Klaas Homan, Groningen, 1973
• Eduard Dekkers, Heerlen, 1975
• Geert Derkse, Tilburg
• Gerard Hendriks, Den Haag, 1986
• Willem Schimmel, Zutphen
• Ko van der Veldt, Haarlem
• Dick Nooy, Amsterdam
• Hans van Werven, Apeldoorn
• Wiel Broers, Alkmaar
• Piet Franzen, Purmerend
• Hans Roks, Bussum
• Don Duco, Amsterdam, 1998
• Frank Rooijmans, Eindhoven
• Han Lensen, Arnhem
• Marjolein van Renssen, Delft, 1999
• Rudi van de Waart, Middelburg
• Bob van Renssen, Delft, 2000
• Wim Creemers, Rotterdam, 2001
• Bert Stapper, Alphen aan den Rijn, 2001
• Benedict Goes, Amsterdam, 2007
• Anneroos Meyboom, Amsterdam, 2007

Other Confrères in the Netherlands

Johan Bodaar, Lambert Bodaer, Rein Davids, Robert de Graaff, Eduard Dekkers, Hendrik Kramer, Adde Kroon, Roy Erwin Luca, Hendrik Niemeyer, Hans Schonk, Kenle Stuurop

Académie Internationale de la Pipe

This exclusive club, founded 1984, assembles a group of motivated pipe smokers, all with their specific knowledge in the field of pipes and tobacco. The number of members is restricted to 30, worldwide, with a maximum of two for each country. In their yearly assembly members and guests inform each other on current issues, varying from the tobacco plant to the production of briar pipes and from historic research to exhibitions on etnographic pipes. Members and guests are welcome on personal invitation only. To stimulate the co-operation between the various pipe afficionados, the Académie meets simultanously with the CICP, the federation of pipe smokers clubs, during the annual European/World cup pipe smoking,

For the Netherlands Don Duco, curator of the Pijpenkabinet Museum, is honorary member. His colleague Benedict Goes is corresponding member. The regular Dutch members are at this moment Ron de Haan and Ruud Stam.

Interested people can purchase the annual publication of the Académie: Le livre de la Pipe / The Pipe Year Book / Das Pfeifen Jahrbuch. The series of eight Yearbooks holds an unreveald source of information not published elswhere. All published issues are available at the booksection of Smokiana pipeshop in Amsterdam.

Click here for a link to the Académie