Preceded by Dirk Jan de Geer Role Dutch Politician Monarch Wilhelmina Party Anti-Revolutionary Party | Preceded by Charles Welter Succeeded by Willem Schermerhorn Name Pieter Gerbrandy Books Indonesia | |
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Prime Minister Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy Prime Minister Dirk Jan de Geer (1939–1940)
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1940–1942) Preceded by Johannes Anthonie de Visser Died September 7, 1961, The Hague, Netherlands Spouse Hendrina Elisabeth Sikkel (m. 1911) Education University of Edinburgh, VU University Amsterdam | ||
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (born Pieter Gerbrandij; 13 April 1885 – 7 September 1961) was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 3 September 1940 until 25 June 1945.On 5 April 1955, he was granted the honorary title of Minister of State.
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Early life
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy was born on 13 April 1885 in the village of Goënga near Sneek, in the province of Friesland, in the Netherlands. He was an ethnic Frisian, and his name is styled in the traditional Frisian way: first name ("Pieter"), patronymic ("Sjoerds", meaning "son of Sjoerd"), family name (Gerbrandy). Incidentally, the name Gerbrandy is also a patronymic; his great-great-grandfather Jouke Gerbrens (1769-1840) took 'Gerbrandy' (with a posher-sounding -y suffix meaning 'son of') as a family name on 30 December 1811.
Politics
From 1920 to 1930, he was a member of the States of Friesland for the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP), and became a professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (1930). Against his party's advice he was Minister of Justice (1939).
World War II
The royal family and many leading politicians had fled to London in 1940. There, they formed a government in exile. After De Geer's resignation and because of Gerbrandy's rejection of De Geer's defeatism, Queen Wilhelmina appointed him as prime minister of the Dutch government in exile, serving in turn as minister of justice, the Colonies, and the general conduct of the War. On his initiative, the Dutch government started to broadcast from Radio Oranje. This station supplied the Dutch population with information from the free world whilst under the occupation of Nazi Germany. Gerbrandy became an inspirational figure to Dutch citizens during the wartime period, as such he was awarded a medal of valour in 1950 and knighted by HRH Princess Wilhelmina.
Postwar
In 1945, after the liberation of the south, he formed a new cabinet without socialists, which was alleged to be strictly subordinated to the military rule. He resigned after the total liberation. He strongly opposed the government's ‘Indonesian policy’, and in 1946–50 chaired the National Committee for the Maintenance of the Kingdom's Unity, which was against the separation of Indonesia and supported the idea of a Republic of the South Moluccas.
In 1950 his book, "Indonesia," was published. This book explains most everything that happened from the 1600s to 1948, it includes "The Indies under Netherlands Rule, The Rule of Law, The Japanese Occupation," and "Chaos." Each section includes detailed observations that he has made.
In 1948, he returned in the Dutch Parliament. However, because of his hot temper, he alienated himself from his party members. In 1956, he was member of a commission, which investigated the affair around Greet Hofmans. In 1959, he resigned as a member of Parliament.
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy died on 7 September 1961 in The Hague at the age of 76.