Leidsch Dagblad
- THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHURCH-HISTORICAL SOCIETY S. S. S.
- ENGLAND.
- DANCE EVENING “THE POPULAR JASZ”
The Leidsch Dagblad's front page of 25 October 1926 marked the 25th anniversary of the Leiden church-history society S. S. S. It recalled how Prof. Pijper gathered four theology students in his study on 24 October 1901 to found a society for studying the history of Christianity and publishing important documents, following the example of Moll in Amsterdam and Fredericq in Ghent. The society began with 16th-century writings. A British news item reported Lord Derby's offer, made in a speech at Leigh in Lancashire, to mediate in “the dispute”. It quoted his hope for a peace that would satisfy both sides and his admission that a self-appointed go-between can do more harm than good. A local notice said that the proceeds of a dance evening, “The Popular Jasz”, would go to the paper, and praised the young musicians who played from 8 to 12.
Translation
THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHURCH-HISTORICAL SOCIETY S. S. S.
On 24 October 1901 Prof. Pijper invited four theology students to his study. His aim was to found a society here in this town, in the spirit of what Prof. Moll in Amsterdam and Paul Fredericq in Ghent had done, for the study of the history of Christianity and the publication of important documents. At first the society confined itself to writings from the 16th century, and these also gave the society its name.
ENGLAND.
Lord Derby's offer to act as mediator in the dispute has attracted a great deal of interest. In a speech at Leigh, in Lancashire, he said: “I hope with all my heart that even now some means will be found to reconcile the conflicting interests and to bring about a peace satisfactory to both parties. I know very well that someone who pokes his nose in, claiming he wants to be a mediator, can do more harm than good, but if I can be of any use, there is nothing that would give me more pleasure.”
DANCE EVENING “THE POPULAR JASZ”
The proceeds will be handed over to our paper and accounted for by us. Everyone who attended this dance evening could enjoy it to their heart's content. The young people played music tirelessly from 8 to 12, to the great satisfaction of the dancers.
Context
Moll, Acquoy and Pijper: the teaching line behind S. S. S.
The Leidsch Dagblad dated the society's origin to 24 October 1901, when Prof. Pijper gathered four theology students in his study. The paper presented the society as following the example of Prof. Moll in Amsterdam and Paul Fredericq in Ghent. Leiden University's own account confirms the core of this: Fredrik Pijper (1859–1926), professor of the history of Christianity at Leiden, founded a church-historical working society with four of his students. The mention of Moll pointed to Pijper's own training. His obituary in the 1926 yearbook of the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde names Prof. Acquoy as the Leiden teacher who had the greatest influence on him. Acquoy had himself been the best pupil of the famous Willem Moll. By naming Moll, the paper placed the student society in a line of teachers and pupils running from Moll through Acquoy to Pijper.
A 25th anniversary in the year the founder died
Pijper did not live to see the jubilee reported here. According to his obituary, he had to give up his professorship for health reasons in 1924 and died in the spring of 1926, aged 67. The society's 25th anniversary therefore fell only months after its founder's death. The same obituary records that in 1913 Pijper finished the preface to the tenth and final volume of the “Bibliotheca”, choosing the anniversary of Acquoy's death for it. The newspaper named the publication of important documents as one of the founding aims of the students' society.
What “S. S. S.” stood for, and how long the society lasted
The paper said that the society took its name from the 16th-century writings it first studied, but it did not explain the three letters. Leiden University's 2026 announcement describes “S.S.S.” as a mysterious name whose meaning is known only to current and former members. The same announcement states that S.S.S. is the only one of all the working societies ever founded at Leiden University that still exists. To mark its 125th anniversary, the university scheduled a symposium for Friday 23 October 2026 in the Vossius room of the Leiden University Library. The society honoured in the Leidsch Dagblad of 1926 thus outlived the founder it had just lost by a century.
The British coal dispute Lord Derby offered to mediate
The dispatch speaks only of “the dispute”, but in October 1926 the great unresolved industrial conflict in Britain was the coal lockout. The lockout began on 1 May over planned pay reductions. The general strike called in support of the miners ended at midnight on 12–13 May without concessions to the strikers, and the coal miners stayed out. Their leader, A. J. Cook of the Miners' Federation, was closely associated with the slogan “Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day”. In June a Bill was introduced to suspend the miners' Seven Hours Act for five years and allow a return to the eight-hour day. In August a meeting between miners and coalowners ended in deadlock, after the owners made clear that they would accept only unconditional surrender. When Derby spoke of finding a settlement “even now”, the dispute was therefore in its sixth month. On 29 November the miners agreed to end their national dispute and return to work. The University of Warwick's Modern Records Centre timeline describes the return of 27–30 November, on lower pay and longer hours, as total defeat.
Original
HET 25-JARIG BESTAAN VAN HET KERK-HISTORISCH GEZELSCHAP S. S. S.
Op 24 October 1901 noodigde prof. Pijper een viertal theologische studenten op zijn studeerkamer, om in den geest van wat prof. Moll, te Amsterdam en Paul Fredericq, te Gent hadden gedaan, hier ter stede een vereeniging op te richten tot het beoefenen van de geschiedenis des Christendoms en het uitgeven van belangrijke documenten. Aanvankelijk bepaalde men zich tot de geschriften uit de 16de eeuw, waaraan de vereeniging ook haar naam ontleende.
ENGELAND.
Veel belangstelling is gewekt door het aanbod van Lord Derby om als bemiddelaar in het geschil op te treden. In een rede te Leigh, in Lancashire, zeide hij:,, Ik hoop. van heeler harte dat er zelfs nu nog middelen gevonden zullen worden om de tegenstrijdige belangen met elkaar te verzoenen en een voor beide partijen bevredigende vrede tot stand te brengen. Ik weet heel goed dat iemand die zijn neus er in steekt, voorgevende dat hij bemiddelaar wil zijn, meer kwaad dan goed kan doen, maar als ik van eenig nut kan zijn, is er niets dat mij meer genoegen zou doen.
DANSAVOND „THE POPULAR JASZ”
De baten zullen aan ons Blad worden afgedragen en door ons worden verantwoord. Een ieder die dezen dansavond heeft bezocht, heeft naar hartelust kunnen genieten. De jongelui hebben onvermoeid van 8-12 uur gemusiceerd zeer ten genoege der danslustigen.
Source: Source: Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken (leiden.courant.nu)