Dutch physician, a rheumatologist and physical therapist avant la lettre.
Van Breemen was the son of the merchant Jan Henri van Breemen and Hendrika Klazina Tuk. After leaving the Amsterdam Barlaeus gymnasium before the diploma because of a conflict with his teachers, he studied medicine after getting the diploma gymnasium-B (beta) via a state exam. He first wanted to become a sea captain, but as was not admitted at the Maritime school because of poor vision, he studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam. On June 8, 1901 he became a medical doctor.
As a medical student Van Breemen already had a great interest in physical therapy as a method of revalidation. But at his time physical therapy had not the interest of physicians and had a low scientific status. Ironically, today Hippocrates and Galenus are seen as the the first practitioners of physical therapy, but at Van Breemen’s time it had the status of quackery.
Van Breemen, being an idealistic socialist, first worked as a general practitioner for the poor, but on 14 February 1903 he constituted the “Vereeniging voor Physische Therapie” and on 15 June 1905 “The Institute for physical Therapy” at the Keizersgracht 489 for rich private clients. In 1910 he was also able to open a clinic for the poor at Keizersgracht 491 with the financial help of content rich clients.
On the fourth International Congress of Physical Therapy in Berlin (1913) he focussed the attention on Rheumatology. He became a board member of the International Society of Medical Hydrology and he became active in the Ligue Internationale contre le Rhumatisme, organising six international congresses.
On 23 Octobre 1926 he established the “Nederlandsche Vereeniging tot Rheumatiekbestrijding.” But only in 1948 Rheumatology was in the Netherlands accepted as a clinical specialism. It was the crown on his work.
Personal
He married on 30 July 1901 at Zwolle Ignatia Henriette Wilhelmina Maria Deutmann (ca. 1871- 20 Dec 1939). The couple got two sons and two daughters. He divorced her on 28 April 1925 and remarried on 19 June 1925 Elisabeth Anna Maria Schrik (7 July 1897, Amsterdam – 27 August 1968, Amsterdam) , a violinist. They got no children.
Jan van Breemen died on 7 February 1961 in Amsterdam at age 86.
Today the prestigious Jan van Breemen Institute, Centre for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation is located at the Dr. Jan van Breemenstraat 2, 1056 AB Amsterdam .