Arnoldus Jozephus Meijer (5 May 1905 – 17 June 1965) was a Dutch

fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...

politician. Meijer was born in Haarlemmermeer. Brought up a devout Roman Catholic and educated in a number of seminaries he soon became influenced by Wouter Lutkie, a Catholic priest and fascist. Philip Rees, '' Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890'' After a brief stopover in the Roman Catholic State Party, which he found far too moderate, Meijer began to write for the authoritarian ''De Rijkseenheid'' and the General Dutch Fascist League's ''De Fascist''. He soon joined the League and, having inherited money from his father, launched his own journal ''Zwart Front''. Rising to a position of influence in the League, he quarreled with leader Jan Baars and in 1934 split from the group, taking a number of followers with him. Before long he had revived the Zwart Front name for his new movement and even visited

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

with Lutkie to gain the fascist leader's approval. The Front failed to make much impact in elections, notably managing only 0.2% of the vote in the 1939 general election (although Meijer managed a 21.4% vote share in Oisterwijk). As a result, Meijer's faction was absorbed into the new National Front in 1940. This movement was banned on 13 December 1941 by the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

, largely due to their Catholicism.Bosworth, ''The Oxford Handbook of Fascism'', p. 458 Despite the ban Meijer was allowed to simply retire from politics. He was arrested on 27 October 1944 and was imprisoned in the former SS concentration camp in Vught until on 7 May 1945 he escaped to Belgium. That same year he published a book about the treatment of former collaborators, ''Pruisische practijken in herrijzend Nederland!''. He returned to the Netherlands in 1946 to face a five-year jail sentence. He was released from prison in 1948 and returned to politics, writing for the ''Aristo'' journal which was sympathetic to Lutkie. He did not however resume his earlier involvement in party politics. He died, aged 60, in Oisterwijk.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meijer, Arnold 1905 births 1965 deaths Christian fascists Dutch fascists Dutch anti-communists Dutch Roman Catholics People from Haarlemmermeer People from Oisterwijk Catholicism and far-right politics