Job Cohen - Family and Education

Family and Education

Marius Job Cohen was born in Haarlem in the province of North Holland. He is the second child (of two) of Adolf Emile "Dolf" Cohen (1913–2004) and Henriëtte "Hetty" Koster (1913–1996). His elder brother is Floris Cohen (born 1946).

His parents both studied history and became high school teachers of history. They were liberal Jews, and were forced into hiding until the end of World War II. His paternal grandparents Hendrik Cohen and Flora Polak both died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. After the war, his father worked at the Dutch Institute for War Documentation. Later he became a professor of medieval history and a rector magnificus at Leiden University. His mother became a member of the city council of Heemstede. His parents were both early members of the Labour Party.

Cohen went to a public primary school in Heemstede. He attended the secondary school Stedelijk Gymnasium in Haarlem from 1960 to 1966. He studied Dutch public law at the University of Groningen from 1966 and obtained his Master of Laws degree in 1971. During his student years, he was a member of the student association Vindicat atque Polit.

Cohen married his wife Lidie on 2 July 1972 in Groningen. She studied Dutch language in Groningen and was a high school teacher. She has multiple sclerosis and is in a wheelchair. Cohen and his wife have two children, son Jaap (born 1980) and daughter Lotje (born 1983).