Hans Dirk de Vries Reilingh

In the beginning of the sixties the municipality of Amsterdam struggled with the problems of decay and loss of function in the inner city. There was an alderman Joop den Uyl appointed by a municipal commission who invited Reilingh to participate. That was the beginning of an extensive research project under the leadership of Reilingh, Willem Heinemeyer and Michel van Hulten. The research reported on, among other things, land prices, image, accessibility and monuments in ‘Het Centrum van Amsterdam, een sociografische studie (The Center of Amsterdam, a sociographic study)’ (1968). During this research many national and international contributors were contacted. During 1966, the involved experts brought together a study week 'Urban Core and Inner City'. The discussions there contributed heavily to the meaning of development in Amsterdam.

The Reilingh's views regarding sociology and social geography differed from those of his predecessor Ter Veen. Ten Veen had always developed more to a form of applied Sociology, but Reilingh emphatically studied social phenomenon in the spatial context. In his eyes geographical sociology must remain. See Also Sociale geografie UvA 1950- 1970.

In 1949 Henri Nicolaas ter Veen died. Reilingh was his successor of the same department: Social Geography and Land Description. He retired in 1971.

Until he was appointed as a professor in 1949, Reilingh was highly focussed on the analysis of rural issues. He published, among other things in 1949 a twosome of country monographs for Weerselo and Markelo. In the fifties he continued to regularly publish works about issues of rural character as he researched the regional cultural situation in the province of North-Holland.

After the Second World War, Reilingh worked for the Ministry of Education, Arts and Sciences. In 1947, he founded the volkshogeschool Eerbeek.

In 1938, Reilingh moved to Markelo, where he founded the volkhogeschool Diependaal. During the Second World War, his work at the volkshogeschool was shut down. Reilingh worked in the war years as a teacher in Almelo and also as a researcher for ISONEVO in Twente. He also finished his thesis during this period. He was awarded cum laude by Steinmetz on November 11, 1945.

Hans Dirk de Vries Reilingh, often shortened to Reilingh, was born into a family of doctors in Groningen. His father and his grandfather were both postgraduate doctors. After the death of his father, Reilingh moved to The Hague. This was where he completed his HSB-b final exams. He then enrolled in social geography studies at the University of Amsterdam. In 1932 he earned his master's degree. His friend, Hendrick van der Wielen (in 1930 promoted by Sebald Rudolf Steinmetz) asked him to teach c courses at Allardsoog, the first Volkshogeschool in the Netherlands.

Hans Dirk de Vries Reilingh (Groningen, August 22, 1908 - Naarden, April 18, 2001) was a Dutch geographer and professor.