Schelto Patijn
Encyclopedia
Schelto Patijn was a Dutch
politician of the Labour Party
(PvdA). He served as Queen's Commissioner
in the Province of South Holland
from June 16, 1984 until June 1, 1994 when he stepped down to become Mayor of Amsterdam, he served from June 1, 1994 until January 1, 2001.
, he was named after the father of his mother, politician Schelto van Citters.
Patijn went to school at the liberal Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague
from 1948 to 1954. After that he studied Law at the Utrecht University
and became member of the Utrechtsch Students Corps. Patijn graduated in 1959. He fulfilled his military duty in which he rose to the rank of reserve-first lieutenant of the royal military police. In 1961–1962 he followed a post-academic study in Washington D.C. Hereafter he was a policy employee at the European Integration Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, up to 1967 when he changed to the Europe institute of the University of Leiden. Initially he worked there as a scientific employee, but in 1971, he became director of the institute.
Patijn received a doctorate degree in September 1973 from the Utrecht University
on: 'the European Parliament, the fight for its powers'.
.
In the House of Representatives he was spokesman for the right to vote and spokesman European matter. From December 1978 to August 1979 Patijn was President of a special commission to examine who had knowledge of the war past of Willem Aantjes
, how they had come to this knowledge and if someone had been using it. Patijn voted in 1980 for a Dutch boycott of the Olympic Games in Moscow. Early 1982 he was candidate Mayor of Rotterdam
, but minister Ed van Thijn
preferred the 42-year-old Bram Peper
. At the constitutional revision of 1983 Patijn played an important role.
On 16 June 1984 Patijn became commissioner of the queen in the province Zuid-Holland. In that function he signed a decision of provincial states of Zuid-Holland on 30 August 1988, that later lead to a financial schandal (in 1999).
By 1 June 1994 Patijn became Mayor of Amsterdam. He succeeded Ed van Thijn
, who in January of that year had left to succeed the deceased Ien Dales
as minister of home affairs in the Cabinet Lubbers III
. Patijn was a remarkable choice, because a tradition appeared to be emerging to appoint a Jewish mayor in the municipality of Amsterdam. He was to be the commissioner of the queen of the still to be formed town province of Amsterdam
. When however the town province was voted down by referendum, one mayor job only remained for Patijn; actually a degradation for a commissioner of the queen.
As a Mayor wild Patijn initially the number of halves coffee shops in the capital. He got within some years a pet name (Ome shrill) and a supporter club. Much critical he got however on to links lay of the Vrijmarkt with Koninginnedag.
Patijn was succeeded on 1 January 2001 by Job Cohen
. After stepping down as mayor he continued live in Amsterdam, even though it was his intention to return to The Hague
.
, but he withdrew due to health reasons. In 2004, Patijn was the President of a Labour Party
-projectgroup which wrote a report regarding integration and immigration.
Patijn married Elisabeth Stroink on 12 July 1961. The couple had three children. After a long spell with health problems, Schelto Patijn passed away in the summer of 2007. He was 70. After a private commemoration in the Westerkerk, Patijn was laid to rest in the Amsterdam cemetery Zorgvlied.
His father outlived him by a few months, until his own death on September 7, 2007 at the age of 98.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
politician of the Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
(PvdA). He served as Queen's Commissioner
Queen's Commissioner
The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
in the Province of South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
from June 16, 1984 until June 1, 1994 when he stepped down to become Mayor of Amsterdam, he served from June 1, 1994 until January 1, 2001.
Early life
Patijn was the second son of Conny Patijn, a Member of the House of Representatives, from 1956 until 1967, and Sara van Citters. He was a descended of Michiel de RuyterMichiel de Ruyter
Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter is the most famous and one of the most skilled admirals in Dutch history. De Ruyter is most famous for his role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century. He fought the English and French and scored several major victories against them, the best known probably...
, he was named after the father of his mother, politician Schelto van Citters.
Patijn went to school at the liberal Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
from 1948 to 1954. After that he studied Law at the Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
and became member of the Utrechtsch Students Corps. Patijn graduated in 1959. He fulfilled his military duty in which he rose to the rank of reserve-first lieutenant of the royal military police. In 1961–1962 he followed a post-academic study in Washington D.C. Hereafter he was a policy employee at the European Integration Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, up to 1967 when he changed to the Europe institute of the University of Leiden. Initially he worked there as a scientific employee, but in 1971, he became director of the institute.
Patijn received a doctorate degree in September 1973 from the Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
on: 'the European Parliament, the fight for its powers'.
Politics
In 1973, his political career also started. Patijn was a Member of the House of Representatives from May 28, 1973 until June 16, 1984, and from July 3, 1973 until July 16, 1979 a Member of the European ParliamentMember of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
In the House of Representatives he was spokesman for the right to vote and spokesman European matter. From December 1978 to August 1979 Patijn was President of a special commission to examine who had knowledge of the war past of Willem Aantjes
Willem Aantjes
Willem Aantjes is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal party. A prominent member the Christian Democratic Appeal party.-Early life:...
, how they had come to this knowledge and if someone had been using it. Patijn voted in 1980 for a Dutch boycott of the Olympic Games in Moscow. Early 1982 he was candidate Mayor of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, but minister Ed van Thijn
Ed van Thijn
Eduard "Ed" van Thijn is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from February 23, 1967 until September 11, 1981. When Joop den Uyl became Prime Minister, Van Thijn became the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives,...
preferred the 42-year-old Bram Peper
Bram Peper
Abraham Peper is a Dutch sociologist and former politician. Peper was Mayor of Rotterdam and Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and is member of the Dutch Labour Party ....
. At the constitutional revision of 1983 Patijn played an important role.
On 16 June 1984 Patijn became commissioner of the queen in the province Zuid-Holland. In that function he signed a decision of provincial states of Zuid-Holland on 30 August 1988, that later lead to a financial schandal (in 1999).
By 1 June 1994 Patijn became Mayor of Amsterdam. He succeeded Ed van Thijn
Ed van Thijn
Eduard "Ed" van Thijn is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from February 23, 1967 until September 11, 1981. When Joop den Uyl became Prime Minister, Van Thijn became the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives,...
, who in January of that year had left to succeed the deceased Ien Dales
Ien Dales
Catharina Isabella "Ien" Dales was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party .- References :...
as minister of home affairs in the Cabinet Lubbers III
Netherlands cabinet Lubbers-3
The third Lubbers cabinet existed from 1989 to 1994, and was formed by a coalition of the Christian-Democrats and the Labour Party . The cabinet was formed with a view to social reform. This was impossible because of the then bad shape of the Dutch economy, which made large reductions in...
. Patijn was a remarkable choice, because a tradition appeared to be emerging to appoint a Jewish mayor in the municipality of Amsterdam. He was to be the commissioner of the queen of the still to be formed town province of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. When however the town province was voted down by referendum, one mayor job only remained for Patijn; actually a degradation for a commissioner of the queen.
As a Mayor wild Patijn initially the number of halves coffee shops in the capital. He got within some years a pet name (Ome shrill) and a supporter club. Much critical he got however on to links lay of the Vrijmarkt with Koninginnedag.
Patijn was succeeded on 1 January 2001 by Job Cohen
Job Cohen
Marius Job Cohen is a Dutch social democratic politician and former legal scholar of Jewish background. Since 2010 he has been the leader of the Labour Party and since June 17, 2010 he has been a member of the House of Representatives, where he also is the Parliamentary group leader of the Labour...
. After stepping down as mayor he continued live in Amsterdam, even though it was his intention to return to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.
Trivia
In February 2001 Patijn was asked to be vice-chairman of the Labour PartyLabour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
, but he withdrew due to health reasons. In 2004, Patijn was the President of a Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
-projectgroup which wrote a report regarding integration and immigration.
Patijn married Elisabeth Stroink on 12 July 1961. The couple had three children. After a long spell with health problems, Schelto Patijn passed away in the summer of 2007. He was 70. After a private commemoration in the Westerkerk, Patijn was laid to rest in the Amsterdam cemetery Zorgvlied.
His father outlived him by a few months, until his own death on September 7, 2007 at the age of 98.
Decorations
- Knight - Order of the Netherlands Lion (1987)
- Commander - Order of Orange-NassauOrder of Orange-NassauThe Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
(1994)