Ko Suurhoff

Ko Suurhoff (1959)

Jacobus "Ko" Gerardus Suurhoff (* 23. July 1905 in Amsterdam ; † 14. March 1967 ) was a Dutch trade union functionary and politician Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij (SDAP) and February 9, 1946, resulting from such Partij van de Arbeid , who represented the trade union wing within his party and was a member of the Second Chamber of the States General for several years . In the second and third cabinet of Prime Minister Willem Drees he was Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health between 1952 and 1958 and during this time he introduced the AOW (Algemene Ouderdomswet) General Old Age Pension , the Health Act and the Act on the Determination of Medicinal Products and also submitted a draft for the General Widows and Orphans Act. In addition, he also served as Minister of the Interior for a short time in 1956. He was later chairman of the PvdA between 1960 and 1965 and Minister for Transport and Water Management in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jo Cals between 1965 and 1966 , during which time he was represented for several weeks by the Minister for Housing and Regional Planning, Pieter Bogaers , for health reasons .

Life

Professional career, union official and local politician

After attending primary and secondary school in 1920, Suurhoff, the son of a house painter, began working as an office clerk at the Nederland steamship company , where he worked until 1924. During this time he joined the Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij (SDAP) as a member in 1923 and between 1924 and 1925 was first an office worker at the State Audit Office (Rijksaccountantsdienst) and then in a tobacco trade, before he was an accountant at the South African trading house (Zuid- Afrikaansche Handelshuis) in Amsterdam. In addition, from 1925 he was secretary of the SDAP association Amsterdam II.

After he was initially an unpaid employee of the documentation department of the main board of the Dutch umbrella organization of the NVV (Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen) between 1930 and 1938 , he was head of the documentation department of the NVV from 1938 until his dismissal by the German occupying forces on July 23, 1940.

At the same time he began his political career at the end of the 1930s and was elected on September 5, 1939, initially a member of the Amsterdam City Council, of which he was a member until March 1, 1941.

Member of the Second World War and deputy chairman of the NPT

Almost two weeks later, on September 21, 1939, Suurhoff was elected for the first time as a member of the Second Chamber of the States General as a candidate of the Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij (SDAP) and was initially a member until June 4, 1946. Due to his political views, however, he was arrested by the German occupying forces and was in the Kamp Sint Michielsgestel internment camp from May 4, 1942 to June 21, 1943 .

At the same time, after the end of the Second World War, he continued his work as a trade union official and was a full-time member of the main board of the NVV between May 1945 and July 1949, where he was responsible for editing publications and training. Furthermore, he was again a member of the City Council of Amsterdam between November 21, 1945 and September 7, 1946.

On October 24, 1946, Suurhoff was re-elected for the Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA) as a member of the Second Chamber of the States General, to which he belonged until September 2, 1952. In addition, he acted between July 13, 1949 and September 2, 1952 as deputy chairman of the umbrella organization of the Dutch trade unions NVV. In 1951 he was chairman of the PvdA commission to draw up the socialist work program De weg naar de vrijheid .

For his many years of service, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Dutch Lion on April 28, 1951 .

Minister in the second and third Drees cabinet

Ko Suurhoff (1st row, 1st from right) with the other ministers of the second Drees cabinet when they took office on September 2, 1952 in front of Palais Soestdijk

Prime Minister Willem Drees thereupon appointed Suurhoff on September 2, 1952 as Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health (Minister van Sociale zaken en Volksgezondheid) in his cabinet. He also held this ministerial office in Dree's third cabinet until December 22, 1958.

In addition, between July 3 and October 3, 1956 he was again a member of the Second Chamber of the States General and a member of the board of the PvdA parliamentary group . In addition, from October 13 until Teun Struycken took office on October 29, 1956, he was also temporarily the minister of the interior in Drees' third cabinet (Minister van Binnenlandse Zaken ad interim) .

Between 1952 and 1958, as Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health, he introduced the General Old Age Pension AOW (Algemene Ouderdomswet) , the Health Act and the Act on the Determination of Medicinal Products and also submitted a draft for the General Widows and Orphans Act.

For his services, he was appointed Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau after leaving the Drees cabinet on December 22, 1966 .

Chairman of the PvdA and Minister in the Cals cabinet

The Cals cabinet at its first meeting on April 15, 1965

On March 29, 1959, Suurhoff was again a member of the Second Chamber of the States General, where he represented the interests of the PvdA until April 14, 1965. During this time, between July 1959 and April 14, 1965, he was again a member of the parliamentary committee of his party.

As successor to Hein Vos he became chairman of the PvdA on March 24, 1961 and held this position at the head of the Partij van de Arbeid until he was replaced by Sjeng Tans on April 14, 1965.

Prime Minister Jo Cals finally appointed him Minister for Transport and Water Management on April 14, 1965 (Minister van Verkeer en Waterstaat) . He was a member of this cabinet until November 22, 1966, but was represented from May 1 to June 30, 1966 due to illness by the then Minister for Housing and Regional Planning, Pieter Bogaers.

After leaving the government on December 5, 1966, he also became commander of the Order of the Dutch Lions.

Publications

• Werknemer en toekomst , 1943
• Staking, yes of no? 1945
• Loonpolitiek , 1948

Background literature

• Suurhoff. Van kantoorkruk dead ministerszetel , in: Het Parool of September 1, 1952
• D. Hillenius: Suurhoff, de volksjongen die staatsman werd , in: Het Vrije Volk of March 14, 1967
• JP Jansen: JG Suurhoff 1905–1967, een levensbericht , in: Het eerste jaarboek voor het democratisch socialisme , 1979
• P. Hofland: Leden van de raad. De Amsterdamse gemeenteraad 1814–1941

Web links

• CV in Parlement & Politiek
• AA de Jonge: Suurhoff, Jacobus Gerardus (1905-1967) , in: Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland , Part II, p. 551
• B. Reinalda: Suurhoff, Jacobus Gerardus , in: Biografisch Woordenboek van het Socialisme en de Arbeidersbewegung in Nederland , Part VIII, p. 273