Eduard Meijers

Eduard Maurits Meijers (10 January 1880 in Den Helder – 25 June 1954 in Leiden) was a Dutch jurist of Jewish background, who was the founding father of the current Dutch civil code, the Nieuw Burgerlijk Wetboek.

His dissertation had an emphasis on philosophy, defending utilitarianism against Kant's rationalism and posing that in general well-being should be the final goal of every law institution.

He was particularly interested in legal history and his publications were of great influence on the development of this field in the Netherlands.

He became internationally recognized and received honorary degrees from the universities of Aberdeen, Brussels, Glasgow, Leuven, Lille and Paris.

In 1920 Meijers became member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, he was forced to resign in 1942.