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Dr. W. Drees
Drees-Van Schaik government
Drees government I, II, III
(1948 - 1958)
Willem Drees was born in Amsterdam on 5 July 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 Dutch
Parliament.
In 1904 he joined the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDAP), which was absorbed into the Labour Party (PvdA) in 1946. From 1910 to 1931 he was chairman of the Hague branch of the SDAP 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 Willem Drees also held a seat on the Provincial Council of South Holland and for 19 years between 1927 and 1946 one on the SDAP executive. Between 1933 and May 1940 he represented the SDAP in the Lower House of Parliament and was from 1939 leader of the parliamentary party.
He spent a year interned in Buchenwald from 1940 to 1941 and was from 1944 to 1945 a member of the council of trusted advisors set up to exercise formal authority in the Netherlands between the liberation and the return of the government in exile.
Thereafter, from 24 June 1945 to 7 August 1948, Willem Drees was Minister of Social Affairs in the Schermerhorn-Drees government and the first Beel administration.
From 7 August 1948 to 22 December 1958 he led four successive administrations as Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs.
On 22 December 1958 he was appointed Minister of State.
Drees received honorary doctorates from the Rotterdam-based Netherlands School of Economics in 1948 and from the University of Maryland (USA) in 1952.
He died in The Hague on 13 May 1988.
In 1904 he joined the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDAP), which was absorbed into the Labour Party (PvdA) in 1946. From 1910 to 1931 he was chairman of the Hague branch of the SDAP 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 Willem Drees also held a seat on the Provincial Council of South Holland and for 19 years between 1927 and 1946 one on the SDAP executive. Between 1933 and May 1940 he represented the SDAP in the Lower House of Parliament and was from 1939 leader of the parliamentary party.
He spent a year interned in Buchenwald from 1940 to 1941 and was from 1944 to 1945 a member of the council of trusted advisors set up to exercise formal authority in the Netherlands between the liberation and the return of the government in exile.
Thereafter, from 24 June 1945 to 7 August 1948, Willem Drees was Minister of Social Affairs in the Schermerhorn-Drees government and the first Beel administration.
From 7 August 1948 to 22 December 1958 he led four successive administrations as Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs.
On 22 December 1958 he was appointed Minister of State.
Drees received honorary doctorates from the Rotterdam-based Netherlands School of Economics in 1948 and from the University of Maryland (USA) in 1952.
He died in The Hague on 13 May 1988.