Vrij Nederland (Free Netherlands) is a Dutch magazine which was established during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II as an underground newspaper but has since grown into a magazine. The weekly magazine is generally considered to be intellectually left-wing. It is conventionally considered to be one of the four most influential written media in its sector, along with HP/De Tijd, De Groene Amsterdammer and Elsevier.
The first issue was published on 31 August 1940. The chief editors have included:
1940-1942: Frans Hofker
1941-1950: Henk van Randwijk
1950-1955: Johan Winkler
1955-1969: Mathieu Smedts
1969-1991: Rinus Ferdinandusse
1991-1997: Joop van Tijn
1998-2000: Oscar Garschagen
2001-2004: Xandra Schutte
2004-2005: Gerard van Westerloo (interim)
2005-2008: Emile Fallaux
2008–present: Frits van Exter
The circulations have decreased from 1945 on, but had an increase in the 1970s:
1945: 109.000
1947: 32.000
1951: 35.000
1955: 19.000
1960: 23.000
1965: 36.950
1970: 81.378
1975: 109.381
1978: 117.165
1980: 111.857
1985: 97.132
1990: 76.947
2000: 55.947
2001: 53.669 (-4,1%)
2002: 53.413 (-0,5%)
2003: 52.868 (-1,0%)
2004: 50.124 (-5,2%)
2005: 49.244 (-1,8%)
2006: 47.082 (-4,4%)
2007: 46.671 (-0,9%)
2008: 44.115 (-5,5%)
2009: 44.860 (+1,7%)
2010: 48.353 (+7,8%)
2011: 45.534 (-5,8%)
2012: 40.872 (-10,2%)
2013: 35.649 (-12,8%)
