Joop den Uyl

Dutch socialist politician, opposition leader, economist, minister of social and economic affairs and premier.

He was born in a Protestant reformed family. His father Johannes den Uyl (8 Oct 1884-7 Dec 1929) was a basket-maker and held a basket shop in Hilversum. His mother Agatha van Leeuwen (b 8 or 18 Sept 1881, Jutfaas - 10 June 1970 , Hilversum) became widow in 1929, 9 years after her marriage on 27 Oct 1910 at Jutphaas. Den Uyl was ten years old then.

Den Uyl studied between 1931 and 1936 on the Christian Lyceum at Hilversum. From September 1936 till February 1942 he studied economics at the University of Amsterdam. After becoming an economist (1942), he worked as a civil servant from 1 April 1943 to 1945 at the Ministry of Economic affairs.

He first was a member of the Protestant Christian Anti Revolutionary Party (ARP), but he became agnostic around January 1943 after a Jewish female friend of him was transported to the East. After the war he became a journalist of the newspaper "Het Parool" (June-Nov 1945 ) and the weekly periodical "Vrij Nederland"" (1 November 1945 till December 1948), both periodicals that started as illegal magazines during the WW2. From 15 January 1949 till 1 January 1963 he was director of the Wiardi Beckman Foundation, the scientific and ideological institute of the Dutch Labour Party "Partij van de Arbeid" (PvdA). He wrote "De weg naar vrijheid" (the road to freedom) in 1951 and edited the brochure "Om de kwaliteit van het bestaan" (About the quality of existence) in 1963.

Political career.

From 1 September 1953 till 14 April 1965 he was a member of the municipal council of Amsterdam.

From 6 November 1956 till 5 June 1963 he was member of the House of Representatives.

From van 8 November 1962 till 14 April 1965 he was municipal administrator (wethouder) for economic affairs in Amsterdam.

From 14 April 1965 till 22 November 1966 he was minister of economic affairs in the Cals administration.