Willem Drees
Encyclopedia
Willem Drees (July 5, 1886 – May 14, 1988) was a Dutch
politician of the Labour Party
(PvdA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
from August 7, 1948 until December 22, 1958.
He previously served as Member of the House of Representatives from May 9, 1933 until June 24, 1945. And as the Parliamentary leader
of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
in the House of Representatives from August 19, 1939 until June 24, 1945 when he became Minister of Social Affairs
and Deputy Prime Minister
serving from June 24, 1945 until August 7, 1948 in the Cabinets Schermerhorn-Drees and Beel I. He served again a short periode as a Member of the House of Representatives, after the Dutch general election of 1946
from June 4, 1946 until July 4, 1946. After the Dutch general election of 1948
, Drees became Prime Minister of the Netherlands
, leading the Cabinets Drees-Van Schaik, Drees I, Drees II
and Drees III
. And as acting Minister of Colonial Affairs from March 15, 1951 until March 31, 1951 and as acting Minister of Finance
from July 1, 1952 until September 2, 1952, following the resignations of Johannes Henricus van Maarseveen
and Piet Lieftinck
respectively. He again had two short stints as a Member of the House of Representatives after the Dutch general election of 1952
and 1952
, serving from July 15, 1952 until September 2, 1952 and from July 3, 1956 until October 3, 1956.
After his premiership, Drees retired from active politics. He was already seventy-two and second oldest person who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
after Johan Rudolph Thorbecke
, who died in office at the age of seventy-four. On December 22, 1958 he was granted the honorary title of Minister of State
. He remained a very active observer of Dutch politics, publishing a substantial number of books and articles until the age of ninety-seven. Willem Drees died on May 14, 1988 at the age of , and is one of the few longest lived state leaders who became a centenarian
. He is praised by many as the most important Dutch politician after World War II
for his important contributions and social reforms laws. Drees was chosen as the best Prime Minister of the Netherlands
after World War II
after an opinion polling conducted by the VPRO
in 2006.
on July 5, 1886. After completing his secondary education in 1903 he worked until 1906 for the Twentsche Bank in Amsterdam
. This was followed by a period as a stenographer
with the Municipal Council of Amsterdam
and then between 1907 and 1919 with the States-General of the Netherlands
.
, which later was absorbed into the Labour Party
in 1946. From 1910 to 1931 he was chairman of The Hague
branch of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
and between 1913 and 1941 a member of the Municipal Council of The Hague
. During that period he was alderman
for social affairs from 1919 to 1931 and for finance
and public works through to 1933.
For 22 years between 1919 and 1941 Drees also held a seat on the Provincial Council of South Holland
and for 19 years between 1927 and 1946 one on the Social Democratic Workers' Party
executive. Between 1933 and 1940 he represented the Social Democratic Workers' Party
in the House of Representatives and from 1939 as the Chair of the Parliamentary Party
in the House of Representatives
Thereafter, from June 24, 1945 to August 7, 1948 Drees was Minister of Social Affairs
and Deputy Prime Minister
in the Cabinet Schermerhorn/Drees
.
in four successive cabinets Drees I
, Drees II
, Drees III
and Drees IV .
Drees's period in office saw at least four major political developments: the traumas of decolonization, economic reconstruction, the establishment of the Dutch
welfare state
, and international integration and co-operation, including the formation of Benelux
, the OEEC, NATO, the ECSC
, and the EEC
. When his Cabinet broke up in December 1958, he was appointed to the honorary position of Minister of State
, the Dutch Labour Party appointed him a member of its Executive Council for life in 1959. Due to impaired hearing he stopped attending its meetings in 1966. He strongly disagreed with New Left tendencies in the membership and strategies of the Dutch Labour Party. He eventually gave up membership of a party he had served for close to 67 years.
in October 1940. Freed one year later, he played a prominent role, as vice-chairman and acting chairman of the illegal Executive Committee of the SDAP, and as a prominent participant in secret interparty consultations. In 1944 he became chairman of the Contact Commissie van de Illegaliteit and a member of the College van Vertrouwensmannen which the London government in exile charged with the preparation of steps to be taken at the time of liberation.
Drees was an Esperantist
and addressed the 1954 World Congress of Esperanto
, which was held in Haarlem
.
Both his sons Jan Drees and Willem Drees Jr. were active members of the Dutch Labour Party, but left the party around 1970 to join the Democratic Socialists '70. The cause was a row with younger party members who wanted to plot a more radical leftwing course for the party. Drees himself left the Dutch Labour Party in 1971 leaving them without their icon, but he never joined the Democratic Socialists '70.
Drees was a Teetotaler
. Willem Drees died on May 14, 1988 in The Hague
, two months before his 102nd birthday.
In 2004 he ended in third place in the election of The Greatest Dutchman
.
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 Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
from August 7, 1948 until December 22, 1958.
He previously served as Member of the House of Representatives from May 9, 1933 until June 24, 1945. And as the Parliamentary leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)
The Social Democratic Workers' Party was a Dutch socialist political party and a predecessor of the social-democratic PvdA.-1893-1904:...
in the House of Representatives from August 19, 1939 until June 24, 1945 when he became Minister of Social Affairs
Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (Netherlands)
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment is the Dutch ministry of social affairs: it is occupied with employment, relations between employers and employees, the system of social security, and emancipation...
and Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the official Deputy of the Head of Government of the Netherlands. In the absence of the Prime Minister the deputy prime minister takes over his functions, such as chairing the Cabinet of the Netherlands...
serving from June 24, 1945 until August 7, 1948 in the Cabinets Schermerhorn-Drees and Beel I. He served again a short periode as a Member of the House of Representatives, after the Dutch general election of 1946
Dutch general election, 1946
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on May 17, 1946.After the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II, parties that existed prior to the war underwent mergers and reorganizations.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti...
from June 4, 1946 until July 4, 1946. After the Dutch general election of 1948
Dutch general election, 1948
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 7, 1948.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
, Drees became Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
, leading the Cabinets Drees-Van Schaik, Drees I, Drees II
Second Drees cabinet
Drees II , was the third Dutch cabinet under prime minister Willem Drees, with ministers from PvdA, KVP, ARP and CHU and one independent minister....
and Drees III
Third Drees cabinet
Drees III , was the fourth Dutch cabinet under prime minister Willem Drees, with ministers from PvdA, KVP, ARP end CHU....
. And as acting Minister of Colonial Affairs from March 15, 1951 until March 31, 1951 and as acting Minister of Finance
Ministry of Finance (Netherlands)
The Ministry of Finance is the Dutch ministry of finance: it is occupied with the national budget, taxation and financial economic policy, including supervision of financial markets...
from July 1, 1952 until September 2, 1952, following the resignations of Johannes Henricus van Maarseveen
Johannes Henricus van Maarseveen
Johannes Henricus van Maarseveen was a Dutch politician.-References:* at the Institute of Netherlands History ....
and Piet Lieftinck
Piet Lieftinck
Pieter Lieftinck was a Dutch civil servant, chief executive, professor and politician. He became minister of Finance in the following administrations Schermerhorn/Drees , Beel-1 , Drees/Van Schaik and Drees-2...
respectively. He again had two short stints as a Member of the House of Representatives after the Dutch general election of 1952
Dutch general election, 1952
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 25, 1952.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
and 1952
Dutch general election, 1952
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 25, 1952.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
, serving from July 15, 1952 until September 2, 1952 and from July 3, 1956 until October 3, 1956.
After his premiership, Drees retired from active politics. He was already seventy-two and second oldest person who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
after Johan Rudolph Thorbecke
Johan Rudolph Thorbecke
Johan Rudolph Thorbecke was a Dutch politician and statesman of Liberal signature who is considered as one of the most important Dutch politicians of the 19th century...
, who died in office at the age of seventy-four. On December 22, 1958 he was granted the honorary title of Minister of State
Minister of State (Netherlands)
The Minister of State is an honorary title in the Netherlands. The title is formally granted together with the style Excellency, by the Monarch, but on the initiative of the cabinet of the Netherlands. It is given on a personal basis, for life rather than for a specified period. The title is...
. He remained a very active observer of Dutch politics, publishing a substantial number of books and articles until the age of ninety-seven. Willem Drees died on May 14, 1988 at the age of , and is one of the few longest lived state leaders who became a centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
. He is praised by many as the most important Dutch politician after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for his important contributions and social reforms laws. Drees was chosen as the best Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
after an opinion polling conducted by the VPRO
VPRO
The VPRO was established in the Netherlands in 1926 as a religious broadcasting organization. Falling under the Protestant pillar, it represented the Liberal Protestant current...
in 2006.
Early years
Willem Drees was born in AmsterdamAmsterdam
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...
on July 5, 1886. After completing his secondary education in 1903 he worked until 1906 for the Twentsche Bank in 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...
. This was followed by a period as a stenographer
Court reporter
A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, using machine shorthand or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other...
with the Municipal Council 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...
and then between 1907 and 1919 with the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
.
Early political career
In 1904 he joined the Social Democratic Workers' PartySocial Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)
The Social Democratic Workers' Party was a Dutch socialist political party and a predecessor of the social-democratic PvdA.-1893-1904:...
, which later was absorbed into 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...
in 1946. From 1910 to 1931 he was chairman of 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...
branch of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)
The Social Democratic Workers' Party was a Dutch socialist political party and a predecessor of the social-democratic PvdA.-1893-1904:...
and between 1913 and 1941 a member of the Municipal Council of 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...
. During that period he was alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
for social affairs from 1919 to 1931 and for finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
and public works through to 1933.
For 22 years between 1919 and 1941 Drees also held a seat on the Provincial Council 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...
and for 19 years between 1927 and 1946 one on the Social Democratic Workers' Party
Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)
The Social Democratic Workers' Party was a Dutch socialist political party and a predecessor of the social-democratic PvdA.-1893-1904:...
executive. Between 1933 and 1940 he represented the Social Democratic Workers' Party
Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)
The Social Democratic Workers' Party was a Dutch socialist political party and a predecessor of the social-democratic PvdA.-1893-1904:...
in the House of Representatives and from 1939 as the Chair of the Parliamentary Party
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
in the House of Representatives
Thereafter, from June 24, 1945 to August 7, 1948 Drees was Minister of Social Affairs
Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (Netherlands)
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment is the Dutch ministry of social affairs: it is occupied with employment, relations between employers and employees, the system of social security, and emancipation...
and Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the official Deputy of the Head of Government of the Netherlands. In the absence of the Prime Minister the deputy prime minister takes over his functions, such as chairing the Cabinet of the Netherlands...
in the Cabinet Schermerhorn/Drees
Netherlands cabinet Schermerhorn/Drees
The Schermerhorn-Drees cabinet was in office in the Netherlands from 24 June 1945 until 3 July 1946.- Introduction :The Schermerhorn-Drees cabinet, the first Dutch cabinet after World War II, was appointed by Queen Wilhelmina just a month after the Netherlands were liberated by the Allied forces...
.
Prime Minister and Later Career
From August 7, 1948 to December 22, 1958 he was Prime Minister of the NetherlandsPrime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
in four successive cabinets Drees I
Netherlands cabinet Drees-1
Drees-Van Schaik , under prime minister Willem Drees, consisted of ministers of PvdA, KVP, VVD and CHU and two independent ministers.This coalition had a 76% representation in the second chamber of parliament...
, Drees II
Netherlands cabinet Drees-2
Drees I , was a Dutch cabinet under PM Willem Drees that consisted of ministers of PvdA, KVP, CHU, VVD and one independent minister. It was a continuation of Drees-Van Schaik after issues over the policy concerning New Guinea led to the fall of the cabinet. However, this did not lead to new...
, Drees III
Netherlands cabinet Drees-3
Drees III , was the fourth Dutch cabinet under prime minister Willem Drees, with ministers from PvdA, KVP, ARP end CHU....
and Drees IV .
Drees's period in office saw at least four major political developments: the traumas of decolonization, economic reconstruction, the establishment of the Dutch
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...
welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
, and international integration and co-operation, including the formation of Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
, the OEEC, NATO, the ECSC
European Coal and Steel Community
The European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and create the foundation for the modern-day developments of the European Union...
, and the EEC
EEC
EEC is an abbreviation that usually refers to the European Economic Community, the forerunner to the European Union.It may also refer to;* The East Erie Commercial Railroad, a shortline in Pennsylvania...
. When his Cabinet broke up in December 1958, he was appointed to the honorary position of Minister of State
Minister of State (Netherlands)
The Minister of State is an honorary title in the Netherlands. The title is formally granted together with the style Excellency, by the Monarch, but on the initiative of the cabinet of the Netherlands. It is given on a personal basis, for life rather than for a specified period. The title is...
, the Dutch Labour Party appointed him a member of its Executive Council for life in 1959. Due to impaired hearing he stopped attending its meetings in 1966. He strongly disagreed with New Left tendencies in the membership and strategies of the Dutch Labour Party. He eventually gave up membership of a party he had served for close to 67 years.
Life outside politics
During the German occupation he was taken hostage in Buchenwald concentration campBuchenwald concentration camp
Buchenwald concentration camp was a German Nazi concentration camp established on the Ettersberg near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937, one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps on German soil.Camp prisoners from all over Europe and Russia—Jews, non-Jewish Poles and Slovenes,...
in October 1940. Freed one year later, he played a prominent role, as vice-chairman and acting chairman of the illegal Executive Committee of the SDAP, and as a prominent participant in secret interparty consultations. In 1944 he became chairman of the Contact Commissie van de Illegaliteit and a member of the College van Vertrouwensmannen which the London government in exile charged with the preparation of steps to be taken at the time of liberation.
Drees was an Esperantist
Esperantist
An Esperantist is a person who speaks or uses Esperanto. Etymologically, an Esperantist is someone who hopes...
and addressed the 1954 World Congress of Esperanto
World Congress of Esperanto
The World Congress of Esperanto has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run of more than a hundred years. The congresses have been held since 1905 every year, except during World Wars I and II...
, which was held in Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
.
Both his sons Jan Drees and Willem Drees Jr. were active members of the Dutch Labour Party, but left the party around 1970 to join the Democratic Socialists '70. The cause was a row with younger party members who wanted to plot a more radical leftwing course for the party. Drees himself left the Dutch Labour Party in 1971 leaving them without their icon, but he never joined the Democratic Socialists '70.
Drees was a Teetotaler
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
. Willem Drees died on May 14, 1988 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...
, two months before his 102nd birthday.
In 2004 he ended in third place in the election of The Greatest Dutchman
De Grootste Nederlander
De Grootste Nederlander was a public poll held in 2004 by the broadcasting company KRO of the Publieke Omroep. The series is based on the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons...
.
Further reading
- W. Drees, Gespiegeld in de tijd. De nagelaten autobiografie (Amsterdam 2000). (Memoir by Willem Drees, Jr.)
Decorations
- Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Knight Grand Cross (December 22, 1958)
- Medal of Freedom with gold palm (April 7, 1953)
External links
- Dr. W. Drees (Ministry of General Affairs) Dr. W. (Willem) Drees (Parlement & Politiek)