View source for Ed van Thijn

{{Short description|Dutch politician (1934–2021)}}
{{family name hatnote|Van Thijn|Thijn|lang=Dutch}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix   = 
|name               = Ed van Thijn
|image              = Burgemeesters, ambtsaanvaardingen, portretten, Bestanddeelnr 932-5968.jpg
|image_upright      = 
|caption            = 
|office             = [[Senate (Netherlands)|Member of the Senate]]
|term_start         = 8 June 1999
|term_end           = 12 June 2007
|parliamentarygroup = [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]]
|office1            = [[List of mayors of Amsterdam|Mayor of Amsterdam]]
|term_start1        = 16 June 1983 
|term_end1          = 18 January 1994
|predecessor1       = [[Enneüs Heerma]] (''Ad interim'')
|successor1         = [[Frank de Grave]] (''Acting'')
|office2            = [[List of Ministers of the Interior of the Netherlands|Minister of the Interior]]
|term_start2        = 18 January 1994
|term_end2          = 27 May 1994
|primeminister2     = [[Ruud Lubbers]]
|predecessor2       = [[Ernst Hirsch Ballin]] (''Ad interim'')
|successor2         = [[Dieuwke de Graaff-Nauta]]
|term_start3        = 11 September 1981
|term_end3          = 29 May 1982
|primeminister3     = [[Dries van Agt]]
|predecessor3       = [[Hans Wiegel]]
|successor3         = [[Max Rood]]
|office4            = [[Parliamentary leader]] in the <br/> [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]]
|term_start4        = 8 September 1977
|term_end4          = 16 January 1978
|predecessor4       = [[Joop den Uyl]]
|successor4         = [[Joop den Uyl]]
|term_start5        = 11 May 1973
|term_end5          = 8 June 1977
|predecessor5       = [[Joop den Uyl]]
|successor5         = [[Joop den Uyl]]
|parliamentarygroup5= [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]]
|office6            = [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|Member of the House of Representatives]]
|term_start6        = 16 September 1982
|term_end6          = 16 June 1983
|term_start7        = 23 February 1967
|term_end7          = 11 September 1981
|parliamentarygroup7= [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]]
|birthname          = Eduard van Thijn
|birth_date         = {{Birth date|df=y|1934|08|16}}
|birth_place        = [[Amsterdam]], Netherlands
|death_date         = {{Death date and age|df=y|2021|12|19|1934|08|16}}
|death_place        =
|nationality        = Dutch
|party              = [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] (from 1954)
|spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|First wife|1964|1972|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Eveline Herfkens]]|1983|1990|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Odette Taminiau|1992}}
}}
|partner            = [[Hedy d'Ancona]] (1973–1979)
|children           = Carla van Thijn (born 1965) <br/> Marion van Thijn (born 1968) 
|residence          = [[Amsterdam]], Netherlands
|alma_mater         = [[University of Amsterdam]] <br/> ([[Bachelor of Social Science]], [[Master of Social Science]])
|occupation         = Politician · Historian · [[Sociology|Sociologist]] · Researcher · [[Board of directors|Corporate director]] · [[Nonprofit organization|Nonprofit director]] · [[Management consulting|Management consultant]] · [[Pundit|Political pundit]] · [[Editing|Editor]] · Author · Professor
|signature          = 
}}

'''Eduard van Thijn''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈeːdyʋɑrt ˈɛt fɑn ˈtɛin}};{{efn|''Van'' in isolation is pronounced {{IPA|nl|vɑn|}}.}} 16 August 1934 – 19 December 2021) was a Dutch politician of the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] (PvdA) and historian. He was a member of the Municipal Council of Amsterdam (1962–1971), member of the [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]] (1967–1981; 1982–1983), [[Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations|Minister of the Interior]] (1981–1982; 1994), [[Mayor of Amsterdam]] (1983–1994), and member of the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] (1999–2007).

Van Thijn was also a prolific author, having written more than a dozen books since 1977 about [[politics]], the [[history of the Jews during World War II]], the history of socialism and several [[Autobiography|autobiographies]]. He was known for his abilities as a [[Management|manager]] and ''[[wikt:policy wonk|policy wonk]]''. He continued to comment on political affairs until his retirement in 2017 and holds the distinction as the longest-serving Mayor of Amsterdam after [[World War II]] with 10 years.

==Early life==
Van Thijn was born on 16 August 1934 in [[Amsterdam]] to [[Jews|Jewish]] parents who in 1943 were held in the [[Westerbork transit camp]].

Van Thijn attended the [[Amsterdams Lyceum]] from September 1945 until June 1952 and applied at the [[University of Amsterdam]] in June 1952 [[Major (academic)|majoring]] in [[Sociology]] and obtained a [[Bachelor of Social Science]] degree in June 1954 before graduating with a [[Master of Social Science]] degree in July 1958. Van Thijn worked as researcher at the [[Wiardi Beckman Stichting|Wiardi Beckman Foundation]] from August 1958 until February 1967.

==Politics==
=== Municipal council ===
Van Thijn served on the [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal Council]] of [[Amsterdam]] from May 1962 until September 1971.

===House of Representatives===
Van Thijn was elected as a [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|Member of the House of Representatives]] after the [[1967 Dutch general election|election of 1967]], taking office on 23 February 1967. After the [[1972 Dutch general election|election of 1972]] the [[Leader of the Labour Party (Netherlands)|Leader of the Labour Party]] and [[Parliamentary leader]] of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives [[Joop den Uyl]] became Prime Minister in the [[Den Uyl cabinet|Cabinet Den Uyl]] and van Thijn was selected as his successor as Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives on 11 May 1973. After the [[1977 Dutch general election|election of 1977]] [[Joop den Uyl|Den Uyl]] returned as Parliamentary leader on 8 June 1977 but he was still serving in the cabinet and because of [[Dualism (politics)|dualism]] customs in the [[Constitutional convention (political custom)|constitutional convention]] of Dutch politics he couldn't serve a [[dual mandate]]. He subsequently resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives and Parliamentary leader on 8 September 1977 and van Thijn again took over as Parliamentary leader on 8 September 1977. Following the [[1977 Dutch cabinet formation|cabinet formation of 1977]] the Cabinet Den Uyl was replaced by the [[First Van Agt cabinet|Cabinet Van Agt–Wiegel]] on 19 December 1977 and Den Uyl subsequently returned as a Member of the House of Representatives and as Parliamentary leader on 16 January 1978.

===Minister of the Interior===
After the [[1981 Dutch general election|election of 1981]] van Thijn was appointed [[List of Ministers of the Interior of the Netherlands|Minister of the Interior]] in the [[Second Van Agt cabinet|Cabinet Van Agt II]], taking office on 11 September 1981. The Cabinet Van Agt II fell just seven months into its term on 12 May 1982 and continued to serve in a [[Demissionary cabinet|demissionary]] capacity until it was replaced by the [[Caretaker government|caretaker]] [[Third Van Agt cabinet|Cabinet Van Agt III]] on 29 May 1982.

=== House of Representatives ===
After the [[1982 Dutch general election|election of 1982]] van Thijn returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 16 September 1982. In May 1983 van Thijn was nominated as the next [[List of mayors of Amsterdam|Mayor of Amsterdam]], he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives the same day he was installed as Mayor, taking office on 16 June 1983.

===Mayor of Amsterdam===
On 16 June 1983, van Thijn became [[List of mayors of Amsterdam|Mayor of Amsterdam]], serving until resignation on 18 January 1994.<ref name="iisg_ed"/>

On 4 October 1992, while van Thijn was Amsterdam Mayor, [[El Al Flight 1862]] crashed into the Groeneveen and Klein-Kruitberg flats in the [[Bijlmermeer]] (colloquially "Bijlmer") neighbourhood (part of the [[Amsterdam-Zuidoost]] district). Hundreds of people were left homeless by the crash; the city's municipal buses were used to transport survivors to emergency shelters. Firefighters and police also were forced to deal with reports of looting in the area.<ref name="nbdc">{{cite news |url=http://www.nbdc.nl/cms/show/id=438453 |title=Bijlmerramp |work=National Fire Service Documentation Centre |access-date=7 January 2015 |language=nl |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107132748/http://www.nbdc.nl/cms/show/id%3D438453 |archive-date=7 January 2015}}</ref>

===Minister of the Interior===
Van Thijn was appointed again as Minister of the Interior in the [[Third Lubbers cabinet|Cabinet Lubbers III]] following the death of [[Ien Dales]], taking office on 18 January 1994. On 27 May 1994, van Thijn and [[List of Ministers of Justice of the Netherlands|Minister of Justice]] [[Ernst Hirsch Ballin]] resigned following the conclusions of a [[:nl:Parlementaire enquêtecommissie opsporingsmethoden|parliamentary inquiry]] report into illegal interrogation techniques used by the [[Law enforcement in the Netherlands|police]].

===Semi-retirement from politics===
Van Thijn semi-retired from active politics and became active in the [[private sector]] and [[public sector]] and occupied numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards ([[Anne Frank Foundation]], [[T.M.C. Asser Instituut]], [[Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy|Institute for Multiparty Democracy]], Wiardi Beckman Foundation, and the [[Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences|Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences]]) and served as a distinguished professor of Sociology, Governmental Studies, and the [[History of socialism]] at the University of Amsterdam from 1 December 1995 until 1 December 2003.

===Senate===
Van Thijn was elected as a [[Senate (Netherlands)|Member of the Senate]] after the [[Historic composition of the Senate of the Netherlands|Senate election of 1999]], taking office on 8 June 1999 serving as a [[frontbencher]] chairing several [[:nl:Eerste Kamercommissie|parliamentary committees]]. In February 2007 van Thijn announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the [[Historic composition of the Senate of the Netherlands|Senate election of 2007]] and continued to serve until the end of the parliamentary term on 12 June 2007.<ref name="iisg_ed">{{in lang|nl}} [http://www.iisg.nl/archives/en/files/t/10778895.php Archief Ed van Thijn]</ref> 

==Personal life==
Van Thijn had two ex-wives and a domestic partner. In 1992, van Thijn married Odette Taminiau. Van Thijn's children are Carla van Thijn (born 1965) and Marion van Thijn (born 1968). Although not raised religiously observant, in later years he aligned himself with [[Reform Judaism|Progressive Judaism]].

He died on 19 December 2021, at the age of 87.<ref>{{cite news |title=Voormalig burgemeester van Amsterdam en PvdA-coryfee Ed van Thijn (87) overleden |url=https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6174063/voormalig-burgemeester-van-amsterdam-en-pvda-coryfee-ed-van-thijn-87-overleden.html |access-date=19 December 2021 |agency=Nu.nl |date=19 December 2021}}</ref>

==Decorations==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:60%;"
|- style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
|+ Honours
|-
! style="width:80px;"| Ribbon bar !! Honour !! Country !! Date !! Comment
|-
| [[File:NLD Order of the Dutch Lion - Knight BAR.png|80px]]
| [[Order (distinction)|Knight]] of the [[Order of the Netherlands Lion]]
| Netherlands
| 3 April 1979
| 
|-
| [[File:Legion Honneur Commandeur ribbon.svg|80px]]
| [[Order (distinction)|Commander]] of the [[Legion of Honour]]
| [[France]]
| 12 February 1982
| 
|-
| [[File:BEL Order of Leopold II - Grand Cross BAR.png|80px]]
| [[Grand Cross]] of the [[Order of Leopold II]]
| [[Belgium]]
| 15 May 1988
| 
|-
| [[File:Order of Orange-Nassau ribbon - Grand Officer.svg|80px]]
| [[Order (distinction)|Grand Officer]] of the [[Order of Orange-Nassau]]
| Netherlands
| 8 October 1994
| <small>Elevated from Commander <br/> (9 September 1982)</small>
|-
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

* {{in lang|nl}} [https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09llanquyh/e_ed_van_thijn Drs. E. (Ed) van Thijn] Parlement & Politiek
* {{in lang|nl}} [https://www.eerstekamer.nl/persoon/drs_e_van_thijn_pvda Drs. E. van Thijn (PvdA)] Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal

{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Anne Vondeling]]|rows=2}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Leader of the Labour Party (Netherlands)|Deputy Leader of <br/> the Labour Party]]|years=1973–1983|alongside=<br/> [[André van der Louw]] <small>(1973–1974)</small> <br/> [[Jos van Kemenade]] <small>(1977–1983)</small> <br/> [[Wim Meijer (Labour Party)|Wim Meijer]] <small>(1981–1983)</small>|rows=2}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jos van Kemenade]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Wim Meijer (Labour Party)|Wim Meijer]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Joop den Uyl]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Parliamentary leader]] of the <br/> [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] in the <br/> [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]]|years=1973–1977 <br/> 1977–1978}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Joop den Uyl]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Hans Wiegel]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Ministers of the Interior of the Netherlands|Minister of the Interior]]|years=1981–1982 <br/> 1994|rows=2}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Max Rood]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ernst Hirsch Ballin]] <br/> <small>''Ad interim''</small>}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Dieuwke de Graaff-Nauta]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Enneüs Heerma]] <br/> <small>''Ad interim''</small>}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of mayors of Amsterdam|Mayor of Amsterdam]]|years=1983–1994}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Frank de Grave]] <br/> <small>''Acting''</small>}}
{{s-end}}

{{Mayors of Amsterdam}}
{{Ministers of the Interior of the Netherlands}}
{{Third Lubbers cabinet}}
{{Second Van Agt cabinet}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thijn, Ed van}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Dutch autobiographers]]
[[Category:Dutch corporate directors]]
[[Category:Dutch humanists]]
[[Category:Dutch Reform Jews]]
[[Category:Dutch magazine editors]]
[[Category:Dutch management consultants]]
[[Category:Dutch nonprofit directors]]
[[Category:Dutch nonprofit executives]]
[[Category:Dutch people of World War II]]
[[Category:Dutch political scientists]]
[[Category:Dutch prisoners of war in World War II]]
[[Category:Dutch sociologists]]
[[Category:Grand Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau]]
[[Category:Historians of World War II]]
[[Category:Humanistic Jews]]
[[Category:Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion]]
[[Category:Labour Party (Netherlands) MPs]]
[[Category:Dutch Marxist historians]]
[[Category:Mayors of Amsterdam]]
[[Category:Members of the Senate (Netherlands)]]
[[Category:Ministers of the interior of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Municipal councillors of Amsterdam]]
[[Category:Westerbork transit camp survivors]]
[[Category:Jewish concentration camp survivors]]
[[Category:Jewish Dutch politicians]]
[[Category:Jewish Dutch writers]]
[[Category:Jewish humanists]]
[[Category:Jewish mayors of places in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Jewish socialists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II]]
[[Category:University of Amsterdam alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Amsterdam]]
[[Category:World War II civilian prisoners]]
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany]]
[[Category:Writers about activism and social change]]
[[Category:Writers from Amsterdam]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch educators]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch historians]]
[[Category:20th-century Dutch male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch businesspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch educators]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch historians]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Dutch politicians]]
[[Category:Dutch MPs 1967–1971]]