Cleveringa received his secondary education in Leeuwarden, and studied with van Kleffens at Leiden University.

He deliberately abstained from any political arguments and did not comment on Meijers' Jewish background, but emphasized his scientific merits.

That same evening a group of students, led by André Koch of The Hague, made copies of the speech and disseminated them to other universities.

The next day, Cleveringa was arrested and imprisoned until the summer of 1941 in the prison of Scheveningen, used for members of the Dutch resistance and nicknamed the "Orange Hotel".

[2] Each year Leiden University funds Cleveringa Lectures held on or about November 26 at many places in the world.