Anarchism in the Netherlands originated in the second half of the 19th century. Its roots lay in the radical and revolutionary ideologies of the labor movement, in anti-authoritarian socialism, the

free thinkers Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and that beliefs should instead be reached by other metho ...

and in numerous associations and organizations striving for a libertarian form of society. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, individuals and groups of syndicalists and anarchists of various currents worked together for

conscientious objection A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to objecti ...

and against government policies. The common resistance was directed against

imperialism Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...

and

militarism Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...

. One of the country's first anarchists,

Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis Ferdinand Jacobus Domela Nieuwenhuis (31 December 1846 – 18 November 1919) was a Dutch socialist politician and later a social anarchist and anti-militarist. He was a Lutheran preacher who, after he lost his faith, started a political fight ...

, came from

social-democratic Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...

circles and did much to organize the working class. As a social movement, anarchism had a great influence on the social change of society in the Netherlands, until the beginning of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After the war, anarchism became active again in the 1960s and through the Provo movement became known to the wider public.

History

Forerunners

Anarchism in the Netherlands was initially referred to as ''communist-anarchisme'', then as ''sociaal-anarchisme'', ''revolutionair-socialisme'' and ''anarcho-syndicalisme''. People of the

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and Jewish faith who brought Christianity and Judaism into connection with socialist and anarchist ideas, especially pastors and preachers, were generally given the name ''rode Dominee'' ("red pastor"). They preached "freedom of thought" and a "modern" theology. In the province of

Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...

, for example, there were seventeen "socialist pastors" around 1932, fourteen of whom were members of the Social Democratic Workers' Party ( nl, Sociaal-Demokratische Arbeiderspartij, SDAP). The "red pastors" did a lot to bridge the gap between Christian and Jewish beliefs, the labor movement, and anarchism. One of the pioneers of

socialism Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

and

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessa ...

in the Netherlands was the Christian socialist Leendert de Baan, a pastor and advocate of

. Politically he was a supporter of the ''Bond van Christian Socialists''. The religious socialist and pastor Henri Wilhelm Philippus Elize van den Bergh van Eysinga, active in the ''Socialist Verbond''. He propagated a "revolutionary socialism" (revolutionair-socialisme) and communism. Johannes Antonius Hendrikus van den Brink, a priest, the first socialist member of the Limburg parish council, member of the SDAP and socialist since 1904. He was criticized as a "renegade priest" (''afvallige priester''). In lectures he espoused socialist propaganda and saw church and worship as a danger to humanity and social progress. From 1910 he gave readings for the freethinkers association ''De Dageraad''. The spokesman for the "red pastors" in the Dutch province of Friesland, Jan Anthonie Bruins Jr., came to socialism through F.D. Nieuwenhuis. He was the founder of the Christian-socialist weekly ''De Blijde Wereld''. Among other things, he was active in the "Arbeiter-Jugend" and the ''Nederlandsche Vereeniging tot Afschaffing van Alcoholhoudende Dranken'' ("Dutch Association for the Abolition of Spirits"). The "red dominee" Frederik Willem Nicolaas Hugenholtz expressed criticism of capitalism. He wanted to found an ''arbeiderskerk'' (literally: "workers' church"), but had difficulties with the population who wanted to dismiss him as pastor. In 1899 he became a propagandist for the Social Democratic Workers' Party. Jan Lambertus Faber, also a "red pastor", was a member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

for the SDAP. As a pacifist and member of the Christian anti-militarist association ''Kerk en Vrede'' ("Church and Peace"), he had a large following among socialist workers. Domela_nieuwenhuis

In 1889, the pastor and socialist pioneer

first professed anarchism. Hendrik Gerhard, a member of ''De Dageraad'' and a freethinker, was called ''de vader van het socialisme in Nederland'' (literally: “the father of socialism in the Netherlands”). His ideal was ''gelijkrecht voor allen'' (“equal rights for all”). He was active in the peace and labor movement and rejected violence to achieve a socialist society. Johan Jacob Ledewijk, advocate of communist anarchism (sociaal-anarchisme), was the founder of the ''Federatie van Vrijheidlievende Communisten'' ("Federation of Freedom-Loving Communists"), editor of the magazine ''De Vrije Communist'' and ''De Toekomst'' of the ''Federatie van Revolutionaire Socialisten'' ("Federation of Revolutionary Socialists") and active in the ''Sociaal-Anarchist Verbond''. Abraham Mozes Reens, propagandist for revolutionary socialism and anarchism, was the founder of the a''nti-verbingvereniging'' and the magazine ''Opstand''. Sjoerd Si (e) brens van Veen, one of the first Christian socialists, was a follower of F.D. Nieuwenhuis and especially active in the province of Friesland. In 1888 he founded of the ''Sociaal-Democratische Bond'' ("

Social Democratic League The Social Democratic League ( nl, Sociaal-Democratische Bond, SDB) was a socialist political party in the Netherlands. Founded in 1881, the SDB was the first socialist party to enter the House of Representatives. Party history Before 1881 I ...

") in Friesland. He proclaimed the ''revolutionaire van de bijbelse boodschap'' ("the revolutionary from the biblical message"). Later Christian socialists declared that through the work of van Veen, Christian socialism found a following in Friesland. Daniël van der Zee is considered a pioneer of Christian socialism. In 1907 he was co-founder of the ''Bond van Christen-Socialisten'' (BCS), editor of the ''Opwaarts'' magazine and board member of the ''Religieus-Socialistische Verbond'' ("Religious Socialist Association") and of the ''Instituut voor Arbeidersontwikkeling'' (literally: “Institute for Workers' Development”; IvAO).

19th century

During the second half of the 19th century, with a few exceptions, the similarities between anti-authoritarian socialism and anarchism were greater than the differences. The boundaries between the two worldviews were fluid. By 1870 the social and economic conditions in the Netherlands were in crisis: high unemployment, low wages, child labor, child mortality and alcohol abuse. Housing and food were insufficient. At this time the mood of the proletariat became more and more radical, which was also expressed in the magazine ''Recht voor Allen''. The first social legislation banned child labor in 1874: children under the age of twelve were forbidden to work.

William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...

ruled the Netherlands between 1849 and 1890. He contributed to the repression against the socialists and anarchists, as well as the labor movement. William III was known as a "brute", who had a great predilection for hunting, alcohol, women and public brothel visits. The "half-mad" king was known for his tantrums and unpredictability, and became a symbol of oppression and decadence. He is said to have called his people stupid oxen, mob and trash. He insulted even the most conservative ministers. Josef Alexander Cohen called out "the gorilla king" in public and was sentenced to six months in prison for lese majesty. F.D. Nieuwenhuis was also sentenced to one year in prison for lese majesty, on the basis of an April 1886 article in the magazine ''Recht voor Allen'', which was directed against the monarchy. It was unclear whether Nieuwenhuis was the author, but as the main editor he had taken on responsibility. JongeSocialist1892

The north of the Netherlands was one of the economically poorest areas in the second half of the 19th century, especially the province of Friesland. The economic crisis was fertile ground for socialism. Labor strikes had often happened in Friesland. As far as is known, the first strike occurred as early as 1810, and about 76 more followed by 1887. The best-known champions of the labor movement were

Pieter Jelles Troelstra Pieter Jelles Troelstra (20 April 1860 – 12 May 1930) was a Dutch lawyer, journalist and politician active in the socialist workers' movement. He is most remembered for his fight for universal suffrage and his failed call for revolution at the ...

, head of the SDAP from 1894 to 1925, and

. The socialists and anarchists were repressed by the state, in 1893, 53 of them were in prison. Nieuwenhuis was active as a speaker especially in Friesland and won many workers to his socialist ideas. The Frisian village of

Appelscha Appelscha (; Stellingwarfs: ''Appelsche'') is a village in the municipality of Ooststellingwerf in the province of Friesland, Netherlands. It has just under 4,800 inhabitants. History and background Appelscha is a village of about 490 hectare ...

was founded in 1827, with the influx of thousands of workers who were urgently needed for peatland colonization. The strikes of 1888 were the beginning of organized workers' uprisings in the Netherlands and the village was considered a stronghold of radical socialism and anarchism. During a strike in 1888, the first small trade union was founded in Friesland, ''De Eendracht'', which worked regionally and had Bruin Tjibbes Bruinsma as its chairman. The striking workers demonstrated with a red flag and the words '' gelijkheid, vrijheid en broederschap''. Subsequent labor strikes were coordinated, and workers fought for a written agreement on their working conditions. In 1855 the magazine ''De Dageraad'' appeared. In October 1856, the editorial team founded the freethinkers association ''De Dageraad''. This association arose out of an interest in founding an organized freethinker movement and, from 1879 onwards, focused on issues such as emancipation, universal suffrage, anti-militarism, homosexuality and the separation of church and state. ''De Dageraad'' wanted to be autonomous in thinking and acting in the scientific, ethical and political fields. It edited the magazines ''De Vrijdenker'' (from 1945 to 1958) and ''Bevrijdend Denk'' (from 1959 to 1963). From 1957, the association continued to work under the name ''Vrijdenkersvereniging De Vrije Gedachte''. The name came from Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn. ''De Vrije Gedachte'' ("The Free Thought") has been working with the ''Humanistisch Verbond'' since 1957. De Dageraad members were mainly socialists, liberals and anarchists. The ''Coöperatieve Broodbakkerij'' (bread baker's cooperative), known under the name ''Volharding'' was inspired by the first cooperatives in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

, the so-called ''volksbakkerijen'', which were founded by Belgian socialists during the great famine. In a major article in ''Recht voor Allen'' in January 1880, written by F.D. Nieuwenhuis, reference was made to the cooperatives in Belgium. This led to the establishment of ''De Volharding'' in

Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...

. Later these cooperative extended to

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

, Amsterdam,

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

and

Heerlen Heerlen (; li, Heële ) is a city and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is the third largest settlement proper in the province of Limburg. Measured as municipality, it is the fourth municipality in the province of Limburg. ...

, among other cities. Frans Drion and Bartholomeus van Ommeren worked in the bread baker's cooperative. Affiche_SDB

The initially revolutionary-socialist party the

( nl, Sociaal-Democratische Bond, SDB) was founded in 1881 as an amalgamation of some regional associations and was mainly active in Friesland. After 1890 the party also got supporters in the provinces of Groningen, Amsterdam and Zaandam. In 1893 the SDB was banned and changed its name to ''Socialistenbond''. Initially the party was in favor of a Marxist-socialist society without private property. But after 1893, the party introduced an extra-parliamentary and anarchist course under the direction of

In 1893 the first major trade union called the

National Labor Secretariat The National Labor Secretariat ( nl, Nationaal Arbeids-Secretariaat, NAS) was a trade union federation in the Netherlands from 1893 to 1940. Early years In the late 1880s and early 1890s the idea that trade unions should no longer be branches of ...

( nl, Nationaal Arbeids-Secretariat, NAS) was founded, along with its magazine ''De Arbeid''. During the

, the libertarian movement in the Netherlands grew significantly. The NAS reached a membership of 50,000. However, the leadership of the NAS was won over to

Marxism Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...

, whereupon the

anarcho-syndicalists Anarcho-syndicalism is a political philosophy and anarchist school of thought that views revolutionary industrial unionism or syndicalism as a method for workers in capitalist society to gain control of an economy and thus control influence in ...

left the union and founded their own union, the

Dutch Syndicalist Trade Union Federation The Dutch Syndicalist Trade Union Federation ( nl, Nederlands Syndicalistisch Vakverbond, NSV) was an anarcho-syndicalist trade union, affiliated with the International Workers' Association (IWA). The NSV had its own magazine called ''De Syndic ...

( nl, Nederlands Syndicalistisch Vakverbond, NSV). The chairman of the NAS, Bernardus Lansink jr., founded the Regional Federation of Revolutionary Socialists ( nl, Landelijke Federatie van Revolutionaire Socialisten, FRS) together with communist anarchists in 1905. The anarchists within the NAS took it from Lansink Jr., propagandist and editor of the magazine ''De Syndicalist'', after it was discovered that he was a member of the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...

(SP). After the NSV joined the IWA, it formed the International Secretariat of the IWA together with

Rudolf Rocker Johann Rudolf Rocker (March 25, 1873 – September 19, 1958) was a German anarchist writer and activist. He was born in Mainz to a Roman Catholic artisan family. His father died when he was a child, and his mother when he was in his teens, so he ...

and

Augustin Souchy Augustin Souchy Bauer (28 August 1892 – 1 January 1984) was a German anarchist, antimilitarist, labor union official and journalist. He traveled widely and wrote extensively about the Spanish Civil War and intentional communities. He was ...

Christiaan Cornelissen Christiaan Gerardus Cornelissen (1864–1942) was a Dutch syndicalist writer, economist, and trade unionist. Further reading Christianus Gerardus Cornelisseni* ttp://hdl.handle.net/10622/ARCH00340 Archief Christiaan Cornelissen International In ...

was temporarily a member of the board of the NAS. The magazine ''De Vrije Socialist'', published by Nieuwenhuis, and the NAS were closely linked. After the Social Democratic Workers' Party ( nl, Sociaal-Demokratische Arbeiderspartij, SDAP) was founded in 1896, there was a split within the Socialist League. Some of the members, led by F.D. Nieuwenhuis, undertook an anarchist approach, while the other members joined the SDAP.

20th century

In 1904, F.D. Nieuwenhuis founded the International Anti-Militarist Association ( nl, Internationale Anti-Militaristische Vereniging, IAMV). In 1907 the

International Anarchist Congress of Amsterdam The International Anarchist Congress of Amsterdam took place from 24 August to 31 August 1907. It gathered delegates from 14 countries, among which important figures of the anarchist movement, including Errico Malatesta, Luigi Fabbri, Benoît B ...

took place. In 1918 the Socialist Partij (SP) was founded, which was a radical socialist and republican party, closely associated with the NAS. Its program included the introduction of a republic, free school tuition, the introduction of an eight-hour working day, the fight against alcohol abuse and a ban on child labor. In March 1918, the socialist ''Workers Youth Central'' ( nl, Arbeiders Jeugd Centrale, AJC) emerged, which was founded as a youth organization by the ''Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen'' ("Dutch Federation of Trade Unions") and the SDAP. During the

, in August 1940, the AJC was discontinued, but some activities continued underground. After the war, the AJC was re-established and since the youth had less interest in the traditional AJC style, it was discontinued in February 1959. In 1921 the ''International Anti-Militarist Bureau'' (IAMB) was founded, followed by the ''International Anti-Militarist Commission'' (IAK) in 1926. The IAK promoted international cooperation, especially with the

International Workers' Association International Workers' Association may refer to: * International Workingmen's Association The International Workingmen's Association (IWA), often called the First International (1864–1876), was an international organisation which aimed at ...

in Berlin. Between 1929 and 1938, international congresses took place, among others in

(1929),

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

(1929),

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

(1932) and

Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

(1933). The ''Nederlands Syndicalistische Verbond'' (NSV), from 1923 to 1940, was an anti-parliamentary force with an aim to destroy state structures. In November 1926, it introduced the term "anarcho-syndicalisme" to the Netherlands, together with Albert de Jong when he founded the ''Gemengde Syndicalistische Vereeniging''. From 1932 to 1935 the NSV published the anarcho-syndicalist magazine ''Grondslagen''. Tot_vrijheidsbezinning

In 1924, near the Frisian town of Appelscha, anarchist youths organized the Pinksterlanddagen for the first time on the ''Ter Vrijheidsbezinning'' site. Since then, the village has had a reputation as a stronghold of socialism and anarchism, to which the Pinksterland Days still bear witness today. Of the 32 anti-militarist and pacifist organizations, which had around 25,000 members and existed between 1919 and 1932, a large number united together with a number of political and humanitarian organizations in the No more war federation ( nl, Nooit Meer Oorlog Federatie, NMOF). In 1937, Anton Levien Constandse and fifteen groups founded the Federation of Anarchists ( nl, Federatie van Anarchisten, FAN) to support the

Federación Anarquista Ibérica The Iberian Anarchist Federation ( es, Federación Anarquista Ibérica, FAI) is a Spanish organization of anarchist militants active within affinity groups in the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) anarcho-syndicalist union. It is often ...

(FAI).

World War II

During the

and the

Nazi occupation of the Netherlands Despite Dutch neutrality, Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 as part of Fall Gelb (Case Yellow). On 15 May 1940, one day after the bombing of Rotterdam, the Dutch forces surrendered. The Dutch government and the royal family re ...

, there was no coordinated anarchist resistance to

National Socialism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...

. The anarchist resistance instead came from individual actions and activities. These were mainly aimed at falsifying documents, bringing German and Dutch anarchists in direct danger to safety, printing and distributing illegal newspapers and pamphlets, and helping the

Jewish population As of 2020, the world's "core" Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewis ...

. In a few exceptions, violence was used. During the war, Lambertus Johannes Bot helped persecuted Jews go into hiding. Two Jewish citizens were arrested at his home. In 1933, Albert de Jong helped Gerhard Wartenberg flee to avoid persecution by the Nazis. Together with the Dutch anarchist Herman Groenendaal, de Jong organized a solidarity rally for the Jews in Amsterdam. Groenendaal was arrested, but de Jong managed to escape and had to go into hiding. Chris Lebeau entered into a marriage of convenience with a Jewish woman who had fled the Nazis. In November 1943 they were both arrested on the grounds that they had offered their help to Dutch Jews. Lebeau took all responsibility, which freed his wife. He himself could have been released from prison if he promised not to carry out any more illegal activities in the future, including forging documents. But Lebeau refused and was taken to Kamp Vught in February 1944. In May 1944 he was sent to the

Dachau concentration camp , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...

. Felix Ortt helped refugees in Soest, who had to go into hiding. Laura Carola Mazirel was a lawyer and anti-fascist resistance fighter. She campaigned for homosexual and women's rights. Her legal office served in part as a cover for resistance activities; providing information, contacting people and organizing accommodation for people who were being persecuted. In 1943, Mazirel was one of the organizers of the attack on the Amsterdam population register in the Apollobuurt district, to destroy the personal information of politically persecuted people.

Post-war

After the war, new organizations and groups were founded. One of the first was the Free Socialist Association ( nl, Vrije Socialisten Vereniging, VSV). Founded in 1945, it was a continuation of the pre-war groups around ''De Vrije Socialist'' magazine. A year later, the Dutch Association of Free Socialists ( nl, Nederlandse Bond van Vrije Socialisten, NBVS), an initiative of the Rudolf Rocker Foundation. The aim of the NBVS was personal freedom and the abolition of economic inequality. The VSV and NBVS merged in September 1952. The new organization was named the Federation of Anarchists in the Netherlands ( nl, Federatie van Anarchisten in Nederland, FAN). After some misgivings, the FAN dissolved, but was continued under a new name in 1954 as the Federation of Free Socialists in the Netherlands ( nl, Federatie van Vrije Socialisten in Nederland, FVS). After the founding of FAN, an opposition group emerged around the ''Vrijheid'' magazine, with the first edition being published on 24 October 1953. After 1956 the magazine was discontinued and the readers began to receive the magazine ''De Vrije Socialist''. In May 1965 the Provo movement was founded. Initiated by the anarchist philosopher

Roel van Duijn Roeland Hugo Gerrit (Roel) van Duijn (born 20 January 1943) is a Dutch politician, political activist and writer. He was a founder of Provo and the Kabouterbeweging. He was alderman for the Political Party of Radicals and later wardcouncillor ...

, the non-smoking activist Robert Jasper Grootveld, Rob Stolk, Peter Bronkhorst and the inventor

Luud Schimmelpennink Laurens (''Luud'') Maria Hendrikus Schimmelpennink (born in Amsterdam, 27 May 1935) is a Dutch social inventor, industrial designer, entrepreneur and politician. As of 2007 he is Managing Director of the Ytech Innovation Centre in Amsterdam. Schimm ...

. The

Dutch monarchy The monarchy of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. As such, the role and position of the monarch are governed by the Constitution of the Netherlands. Consequently, a large portion of it is devoted to the monarch. Roughly a third of ...

and royalty, symbols of the establishment, were the preferred targets of the Provos' satirical attacks, as reflected in their magazine ''Provo''. With their actions, the Provos gave anarchism new impetus and made it known to a wider public.

21st century

The ''Antifascist Actie'' (AFA) was founded in 1992 and is a supra-regional network of various groups. Among other things, their activities consist of demonstrations, the distribution of leaflets and support for other organizations. The organization is mainly supported by anarchists, in collaboration with

socialists Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the eco ...

communists Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a so ...

and

autonomists The Autonomists (french: Autonomistes; it, Autonomisti) was a Christian-democratic Italian political party active in the Aosta Valley. It was founded in 1997 by the union of the regional Italian People's Party with For Aosta Valley, and some ...

. Cooperation with left-wing unions was rejected. The AFA publishes the magazine ''Alert!''. The Eurodusnie collective was founded in 1997 to protest against the

Treaty of Amsterdam The Treaty of Amsterdam, officially the Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, was signed on 2 October 1997, and entered into force on 1 May 1999; i ...

. The Anarchist Group Amsterdam (AGA) came into being around 2001. The anarchist group is a non-hierarchical collective. Their starting point was anarchism, where they looked for alternatives to problems that existed in society, for example in the workplace, in schools, the prison system and to take initiatives for tenants and the squatter movement. They emphasise self-organization and direct action. Anarchist groups also exist in other cities. In 2009 the Anarchist Group Nijmegen (AGN) and in 2010 the ''Anarchist Collektief Utrecht'' (AK-Utrecht) was established. The groups organize actions and support each other's activities. The AGA shared a lot of their knowledge and experience. Both the AGN and the AK-Utrecht affiliated to the

Free Union A free union is a romantic union between two or more persons without legal or religious recognition or regulation. The term has been used since the late 19th century to describe a relationship into which all parties enter, remain, and depart ...

, an anarchist organization with groups in Utrecht, Amsterdam and Nijmegen, among other cities. The Pinksterlanddagen, which has existed since 1924, is still being organized today. The Federation of Free Socialists was founded in 1971, but later discontinued in 1979 and replaced by the Anarchist Federation. Anarchist Black Cross in Amsterdam and Nijmegen. The Anarcho-syndicalist Union ( nl, Anarcho-Syndicalistische Bond, ASB) was created in October 2012, on the initiative of some dissatisfied members of the Vrije Bond. The ASB wanted a stronger focus on industrial action and had members in Utrecht, Twente, Amsterdam, Brabant, Rotterdam and The Hague. The ASB saw itself as a workers' organization with the aim of abolishing capitalism and the state, and in this sense followed a classic anarcho-syndicalist line. It pleaded for a free coexistence on the basis of self-organization of the workers, solidarity, mutual aid and communist anarchism. The ASB disbanded in 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Netherlands, Anarchism in

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...