biography
| name: |
Suurhoff, Jacobus Gerardus
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pronunciation:
[sürhof]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1905–67)
|
| biography:
| Dutch politician, born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. From 1925 he filled various functions in the SDAP (Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij) and NVV (Netherlands Association of Trade Unions) and in 1939 was a member of the Amsterdam municipal council and an MP. He was involved in the Nederlandse Unie during the early part of the German occupation of the Netherlands, but withdrew when Jews were banned as members. After a period as a hostage (1942–3) he worked for the underground press. After the war he was co-founder of the Nederlandse Volksbeweging and from 1946 represented the PvdA (Partij van de Arbeid) in parliament. As minister of social affairs and public health (1952–8) he introduced the Old Age Pensions Act (Algemene Ouderdomswet - AOW). He led the PvdA in 1961–5 and was minister of transport and waterways in 1965–6. |
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