Benno Premsela
Benno Premsela (Amsterdam, 4 May 1920 – Amsterdam, 27 March 1997) was a Dutch designer, visual artist and art collector.
Benno Premsela

Vervaardiger Kransberg, Doriann (1949-) · This image has been extracted from another file · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 4 May 1920
- Died
- 27 March 1997
- Birthplace
- Amsterdam
- Occupation
- designer, artist and art collector
- Education
- Nieuwe Kunstschool
- Nationality
- Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Fields
- ceramic art · product design
- Honours
- Sikkens Prize · Zilveren Anjer
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Documentary summary
Benno Premsela (Amsterdam, 4 May 1920 – Amsterdam, 27 March 1997) was a Dutch designer, visual artist and art collector.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q2870056 · wikipedia · Benno Premsela
In this article
Biography
Biography
The field of work recorded is ceramic art and product design. Places of work recorded in the authority are Amsterdam. Employment is recorded with De Bijenkorf, Cor Unum and BRS Premsela Vonk. Work by Benno Premsela is recorded in the collections of Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Design Museum Den Bosch, TextielMuseum, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and Centraal Museum. Distinctions recorded are Sikkens Prize and Zilveren Anjer.

Benno Premsela (l) overhandigt petitie tegen bezuiniging individuele subsidies beeldende kunst aan Kamercom. WVC
Rob C. Kroes / Anefo / Nationaal Archief · Nationaal Archief

Industrieel ontwerper en binnenhuisarchitect. Geportretteerd in zijn woning aan de Keizersgracht 518 met uitzicht op Keizersgracht 461(ged.)-475.
Vervaardiger Kransberg, Doriann (1949-) · Benno Premsela (1920-1997) Collectie Stadsarchief Amsterdam: foto's eigen fotodienst
Key facts
Key facts
• Born — 4 May 1920 • Died — 27 March 1997 • Birthplace — Amsterdam • Place of death — Amsterdam • Occupation — designer, artist and art collector • Education — Nieuwe Kunstschool
Biography
Biography
Premsela was born and raised in Amsterdam. He was the son of Benedictus Premsela, general practitioner and sexologist, en Rosalie de Boers. After his secondary education he attended the Nieuwe Kunstschool (New Art School) from 1937 to 1940. Premsela was Jewish and one of the only members of his family to survive the Holocaust in the Netherlands. From 1956 to 1973 he was head of display window decoration at De Bijenkorf. He joined the Amsterdam Council for the Arts, which he chaired from 1961 to 1970. In 1972 he became chairman of the board of directors of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Premsela was also chairman of the COC Nederland and made an important contribution to the acceptance of homosexuality in the Netherlands. The Benno Premsela Prize initiated in 2000 was named after Premsela. in 2002 a new national institute for design was named after him as well, the Premsela Dutch Platform for Design and Fashion.
Identity
Identity
Benno Premsela is recorded with the occupation industrial designer. Recorded with the occupation textile artist. Recorded as textile artist, designer, art collector, lgbtq rights activist and window dresser.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1920
Benno Premsela was born in 1920 at Amsterdam.
1997
Benno Premsela died in 1997 at Amsterdam.
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
- Being and Belonging: Benno Premsela, Joop Voet, Sándor Baracs and the Holocaust in Nazi-Occupied Amsterdam, Journal of Genocide Research, 2019
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2019
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2870056: Benno Premsela
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Benno Premsela”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Benno Premsela;male / Dutch; industrial designer, textile artist, designer, interior decorator, window dresser, art collector, monumental artist, at rkd.nl. Last updated 2017-03-30.
- 2.E. Broeksma-van Capelle, Premsela, Benno (1920-1997)', in Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland. Last updated 12-11-2013.
- 3.Woods, Gregory. Homintern: How Gay Culture Liberated the Modern World. Yale University Press. 25. 2016. 978-0-300-21803-9.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 3
- Erik Beenker. Benno Premsela, 1985.
- Keso Dekker. Benno Premsela onder anderen: Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. 1981.
- Bert Boelaars. Benno Premsela, 1920-1997: voorvechter van homo-emancipatie. 2008.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
Being and Belonging: Benno Premsela, Joop Voet, Sándor Baracs and the Holocaust in Nazi-Occupied Amsterdam, Journal of Genocide Research, 2019Crossref registry
Institutional witnessauthority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Benno Premsela worked in ceramic art and product design. He was employed by De Bijenkorf, Cor Unum and BRS Premsela Vonk. He belonged to COC Nederland and Raad voor de Kunst. He worked at Amsterdam. Premsela received Sikkens Prize and Zilveren Anjer.
Career and activity
Recognition and collections
Work by Benno Premsela is
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Design Museum Den Bosch, TextielMuseum and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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