Kasteel of Temora
Bernardus Kasteel married Geertruida Nijenhuis
born 30 Jan 1859 3 Oct 1889 born 19 Apr 1868
Arnhem, Gelderland Arnhem, Gelderland Wageningen, Gelderland
died 18 Aug 1934 died 1 January 1920
Zwolle, Overijssel Zwolle, Overijsse
Bernardus Kasteel biorn 30 Jan 1859 in Holland worked at the N V Staatsspoorwegen (Dutch
State Railways). He married Geertruida Nijenhuis in 1889. The couple had eight children,
their first born died as a baby.
1 Petrus Albertus (Piet) Kasteel sixth child and fourth son born 4 Nov 1901 at Zwolle,
Overijssel Netherlands. He got a doctorate in Political and Social Sciences at Louvain in
Belgium. He was a journalist, writer and later a diplomat. He married Maria Joanna
Antonia (Ria) Baltussen in 1927. He was parliamentary editor of De Maasbode and
editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine ‘Herstel’, from 1937 to 1940 and was a
resistance fighter. He fled to England during World War II where he served for the
Dutch government-in-exile. In 1946 Dr Piet Kasteel received the Medal of Freedom with
Silver Palm from the United States government. He was also a Knight of the Order of
the Netherlands Lion, Knight Grand Cross of the Papal Order of Saint Gregory the Great
and Commander of the French Legion of Honour. He served as Governor of Curaçao
from 1942 until 1948, Dutch Ambassador to Chile from 1948 to 1956. He came to
Ireland at the minister to the Dutch Legation in 1956. The Legation was raised to the
status of Embassy in 1958 and he was appointed the Dutch Ambassador to Ireland.
They lived at Pranstown House from 1956 to 1959.
On 14 Aug 1958 KLM Flight 607-E Amsterdam to New York crashed into to sea 180 km
west of Shannon having refuelled at Shannon Airport. The aircraft was a Lockheed
Super Constellation and all 99 people on board died. The cause of the accident could
not be established with any certainty. In 1960 Piet presented honours to the people of
Galway for their help in the mercy mission that followed the crash. His job involved
encouraging trade between Holland and Ireland he also had a lot of social engagemetts
to perform. In 1956 he opened an exhibition at Brown Thomas for the Dutch painter,
Koert Simeon Delmonte who had settled in Ireland and in 1959 he presented Seán T
O'Kelly (President of Ireland) with the Grand Cross of the House of Orange on behalf
of Queen Julianna of the Netherlands. He was transferred to Israel in 1966. He retired
to Rome in 1968 and was made Vatican Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of
Jerusalem. They lived on Via della Conciliazione in Rome with their son Monsignor
Kasteel. Piet died in Rome, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy and was
buried at the Teutonic Cemetery in the Vatican City with his wife.
Piet was survived by their five children: Anna Maria Curri Therese Kasteel joined the
diplomatic service, Frans Bernard Rafael Kasteel, Pia Cornelia Maria Kasteel became a
Clinical Phycologist and worked in Ireland, Karel Gerlach Josph Kasteel was ordained
in Rome 1959 and Thomas Moore Timothe Kasteel.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - December 2023
Bernardus Kasteel married Geertruida Nijenhuis
born 30 Jan 1859 3 Oct 1889 born 19 Apr 1868
Arnhem, Gelderland Arnhem, Gelderland Wageningen, Gelderland
died 18 Aug 1934 died 1 January 1920
Zwolle, Overijssel Zwolle, Overijsse
Bernardus Kasteel biorn 30 Jan 1859 in Holland worked at the N V Staatsspoorwegen (Dutch
State Railways). He married Geertruida Nijenhuis in 1889. The couple had eight children,
their first born died as a baby.
1 Petrus Albertus (Piet) Kasteel sixth child and fourth son born 4 Nov 1901 at Zwolle,
Overijssel Netherlands. He got a doctorate in Political and Social Sciences at Louvain in
Belgium. He was a journalist, writer and later a diplomat. He married Maria Joanna
Antonia (Ria) Baltussen in 1927. He was parliamentary editor of De Maasbode and
editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine ‘Herstel’, from 1937 to 1940 and was a
resistance fighter. He fled to England during World War II where he served for the
Dutch government-in-exile. In 1946 Dr Piet Kasteel received the Medal of Freedom with
Silver Palm from the United States government. He was also a Knight of the Order of
the Netherlands Lion, Knight Grand Cross of the Papal Order of Saint Gregory the Great
and Commander of the French Legion of Honour. He served as Governor of Curaçao
from 1942 until 1948, Dutch Ambassador to Chile from 1948 to 1956. He came to
Ireland at the minister to the Dutch Legation in 1956. The Legation was raised to the
status of Embassy in 1958 and he was appointed the Dutch Ambassador to Ireland.
They lived at Pranstown House from 1956 to 1959.
On 14 Aug 1958 KLM Flight 607-E Amsterdam to New York crashed into to sea 180 km
west of Shannon having refuelled at Shannon Airport. The aircraft was a Lockheed
Super Constellation and all 99 people on board died. The cause of the accident could
not be established with any certainty. In 1960 Piet presented honours to the people of
Galway for their help in the mercy mission that followed the crash. His job involved
encouraging trade between Holland and Ireland he also had a lot of social engagemetts
to perform. In 1956 he opened an exhibition at Brown Thomas for the Dutch painter,
Koert Simeon Delmonte who had settled in Ireland and in 1959 he presented Seán T
O'Kelly (President of Ireland) with the Grand Cross of the House of Orange on behalf
of Queen Julianna of the Netherlands. He was transferred to Israel in 1966. He retired
to Rome in 1968 and was made Vatican Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of
Jerusalem. They lived on Via della Conciliazione in Rome with their son Monsignor
Kasteel. Piet died in Rome, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy and was
buried at the Teutonic Cemetery in the Vatican City with his wife.
Piet was survived by their five children: Anna Maria Curri Therese Kasteel joined the
diplomatic service, Frans Bernard Rafael Kasteel, Pia Cornelia Maria Kasteel became a
Clinical Phycologist and worked in Ireland, Karel Gerlach Josph Kasteel was ordained
in Rome 1959 and Thomas Moore Timothe Kasteel.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - December 2023