Youth and education
Pieter van Vollenhoven was born in Schiedam on 30 April 1939, the son of Pieter van Vollenhoven senior and Jacoba Gijsbertha van Vollenhoven-Stuyling de Lange. He has one brother.
Professor Van Vollenhoven attended primary school in Rotterdam and went on to the Montessori Lyceum, passing his secondary school leaving examinations in 1959.
He then enrolled at Leiden University, where he studied Dutch law. His special subjects included the statutory organisation of industry and the organisation of the Dutch police. He graduated in 1965.
At university, Professor Van Vollenhoven took a very active part in student life and held the position of assessor secundus on the committee of the Leiden Students’ Association in 1963 and 1964. He was also president of the Netherlands Students’ Sports Trust in 1964.