Frans Johannes Goedhart (25 January 1904 – 3 March 1990) was a Dutch journalist, politician and during World War II member of the
Dutch resistance. Having spent most of his youth in orphanages and having received little formal education Goedhart became a journalist for several local and regional newspapers in the 1930s. During this period Goedhart became a fierce anti-communist and anti-fascist and became wishful of political reform based on socialism.
Goedhart was active in the
Dutch resistance to the
German 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 ...
in World War II. Under the war pseudonym Pieter 't Hoen he founded a newsletter which later became the illegal newspaper ''
Het Parool
''Het Parool'' () is an Amsterdam-based daily newspaper. It was first published on 10 February 1941 as a resistance paper during the German occupation of the Netherlands (1940–1945). In English, its name means ''The Password'' or ''The Motto' ...
''. In January 1942 he tried to flee to England but was captured, although he was sentenced to death he managed to escape in August 1943. He then returned to his newspaper which obtained widespread circulation during the later years of the war.
After the war Goedhart became more politically active and sought a reform of the political system in which he tried to use ''Het Parool'' as a political vehicle. He became 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
Labour Party (PvdA) in 1946 and would stay member until the early 1970s. In the House he developed himself as a supporter of
Indonesian independence of the Netherlands and became a staunch supporter of anti-communism. Goedhart became a conflictual figure, clashing both at his newspaper and with his party members.
Early life
Goedhart was born on 25 January 1904 in Amsterdam.
His father, also named Frans Johannes Goedhart, was a masseur who died when he was six years old. His mother was Catharina Gerarda Loep. After his father's death Goedhart spent time in several
orphanage
An orphanage is a Residential education, residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the Childcare, care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parent ...
s. He followed his early education in
Dieren
Dieren () is a town in the eastern Netherlands. It is located in Rheden, Gelderland, between Zutphen and Arnhem, on the bank of the IJssel.
Dieren was a separate municipality until 1818, when it became a part of Rheden.
The Gazelle bicycle facto ...
.
Goedhart became an apprentice journalist in 1922 when he started working for the ''Velpsche Courant''. One year later he became a full journalist for the ''Arnhemse Courant'' where he worked until 1924. In that year he joined the national newspaper ''
De Telegraaf
''De Telegraaf'' (; en, The Telegraph) is the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper. Haro Kraak,Gaat Paul Jansen de crisis bij De Telegraaf oplossen?, '' de Volkskrant'', 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015. Paul Jansen has been the editor-in-chief s ...
''. In 1926 he was fired due to his
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...
. He then moved to Belgium where he worked for ''
Het Laatste Nieuws
''Het Laatste Nieuws'' (; in English ''The Latest News'') is a Dutch-language newspaper based in Antwerp, Belgium. It was founded by Julius Hoste Sr. on 7 June 1888. It is now part of DPG Media, and is the most popular newspaper in Flanders and ...
'' in Brussels until 1931. He worked as a journalist for ' between 1932 and 1934. In 1938 he became a correspondent for the Belgian daily newspaper ''
Vooruit
Vooruit ( nl, Kunstencentrum Vooruit, ) is a historic complex in Ghent, Belgium. Vooruit was originally the festival and art center of the Ghent-based labor movement, with a ballroom, cinema, theater, etc. It is now mainly used for concerts a ...
''.
World War II journalism
Goedhart became a fierce critic of the declared neutrality of the Netherlands in the
interwar period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
, being an antifascist himself.
Shortly after the Netherlands was occupied by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in May 1940 Goedhart became active in the
Dutch Resistance. He found the attitude of Dutch newspapers to the occupation unbearable and decided to write his own material.
On 25 July 1940 he published his first illegal newsletter, the ''Nieuwsbrief van Pieter 't Hoen''.
Pieter 't Hoen was Goedhart's war pseudonym.
The namesake of his pseudonym was an 18th-century Dutch journalist whom he admired.
The first newsletter was stenciled and reproduced 500 times, Goedhart had it distributed to several well-known Dutch people as well as barber shops in the hope they would put it in their reading material.
A total of 27 editions of the newsletter were produced between July 1940 and April 1941.
The newsletter became the resistance newspaper ''
Het Parool
''Het Parool'' () is an Amsterdam-based daily newspaper. It was first published on 10 February 1941 as a resistance paper during the German occupation of the Netherlands (1940–1945). In English, its name means ''The Password'' or ''The Motto' ...
'' in February 1941.
With the namechange the newsletter also stopped being a one-person production and developed a board of editors of which and
Koos Vorrink
Jacobus Jan Vorrink, better known as Koos Vorrink (7 June 1891 – 19 July 1955), was a socialist leader in the Netherlands.
Early life
Koos Vorrink was born on 7 June 1891 in Vlaardingen, in the Dutch province of South Holland.
He started ...
became members.
Goedhart served as publisher of ''Het Parool'' between January 1941 and 1945.
On 18 January 1942 Goedhart tried to flee the Netherlands by escaping on a boat to England. This attempt near
Scheveningen
Scheveningen is one of the eight districts of The Hague, Netherlands, as well as a subdistrict (''wijk'') of that city. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is po ...
, together with Wiardi Beckman failed and both were captured by the
Sicherheitsdienst
' (, ''Security Service''), full title ' (Security Service of the ''Reichsführer-SS''), or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Established in 1931, the SD was the first Nazi intelligence organization ...
.
In December 1942 he stood trial with 22 others in what became the first ''Het Parool''-trial. Goedhart was subsequently sentenced to death. He was imprisoned for over a year and a half, he managed to escape during a transport in
Kamp Vught on 2 August 1943.
After his escape Goedhart resumed his activities for ''Het Parool'', where during his absence
Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart and three others had kept the newspaper going.
During the war the newspaper managed to reach a circulation of 30,000.
After the war ended he served as temporary chief editor of ''Het Parool'' until September 1945. He lost an election to become chief editor to Van Heuven Goedhart.
Goedhart subsequently became chair of the ''Het Parool'' foundation, as which he served until 1956. In that year he became regular member of the board of the foundation, which he stayed until 1970.
Political career
Although without political office Goedhart was politically involved with the
Communist Party of Holland
The Communist Party of the Netherlands ( nl, Communistische Partij Nederland, , CPN) was a Dutch communist party. The party was founded in 1909 as the Social-Democratic Party (SDP) and merged with the Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party ...
in the 1930s. In 1934 he was expelled from the party after he refused to break contact with people protecting
Marinus van der Lubbe
Marinus van der Lubbe (13 January 1909 – 10 January 1934) was a Dutch communist who was tried, convicted, and executed by the Nazis for setting fire to the German Reichstag building on 27 February 1933. During his trial, the prosecution a ...
from communist slander.
From that moment until 9 February 1946 he held no party membership.
Goedhart developed an aversion of communism and became a socialist.
In May 1945 Goedhart became a member of the
Nederlandse Volksbeweging The Nederlandse Volksbeweging (NVB, English: "Dutch People's Movement") was a political reform movement established in the Netherlands in 1945, immediately after the Second World War.
The idea to found the movement originated during the war in a gr ...
, a political reform movement. After the total
Liberation 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 ...
in 1945 Goedhart became member of the Nationale Adviescommissie, which was in place between 20 July and 20 November 1945. In the emergency parliament (Dutch:Noodparlement) that followed the commission he also served as member. In March 1946 his efforts in the board of the Nederlandse Volksbeweging and leader of the ''Parool-group'' within it, led to his membership on the board of the
Labour Party (Dutch: Partij van de Arbeid, PvdA), which had been founded in February the same year.
In May 1946 the
first general elections after World War II were held, in the elections Goedhart lost his seat in parliament.
He went to the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
where the preamble to the
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during Aftermath of WWII, postw ...
was taking place with Indonesian nationalists gaining more ground. Goedhart became sympathetic of the nationalists, thereby presenting a different picture than most Dutch journalists.
Goedhart however managed to return to 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 ...
in October the same year as
Wim Schermerhorn
Willem "Wim" Schermerhorn (17 December 1894 – 10 March 1977) was a Dutch politician who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 25 June 1945 until 3 July 1946. He was a member of the now-defunct Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB) a ...
gave up his seat to head the Commissie-Generaal voor
Nederlandsch-Indië.
Goedhart felt passionate about two things after the war: his role as journalist at ''Het Parool'', for which he continued to write articles, and on the other hand he had his membership of the House of Representatives. He had a vision in which ''Het Parool'' would become a vehicle for political reform and he used that in his political career.
This however brought him into conflict both within his own party as well at ''Het Parool''. In his role as Chair of the ''Het Parool'' foundation he had frequent arguments over the political course of the newspaper with chief editors Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart and later with .
As member of the House Goedhart had three focus points: the introduction of a
planned economy
A planned economy is a type of economic system where investment, production and the allocation of capital goods takes place according to economy-wide economic plans and production plans. A planned economy may use centralized, decentralized, part ...
with social security, letting go of the neutrality principle of the Netherlands, and thirdly ending colonial relations.
In July 1947 Goedhart went once more to Indonesia, this time as Labour Party board advisor. His open support for Indonesia's call for independence had driven a rift in the
First Beel cabinet
The First Beel cabinet was the executive branch of the Dutch Government from 3 July 1946 until 7 August 1948. The cabinet was formed by the christian-democratic Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) afte ...
of which his Labour Party was part. His party leader,
Koos Vorrink
Jacobus Jan Vorrink, better known as Koos Vorrink (7 June 1891 – 19 July 1955), was a socialist leader in the Netherlands.
Early life
Koos Vorrink was born on 7 June 1891 in Vlaardingen, in the Dutch province of South Holland.
He started ...
, chose to send Goedhart to Indonesia to make the point of view of the Labour Party better understood in the coalition government.
While in Indonesia Goedhart became an unofficial negotiator in the rising conflict between the Netherlands and Indonesia. During his presence the first of the two
Politionele acties
' ( en, police actions) refers to two major military offensives undertaken by the Netherlands on Java and Sumatra against the Republic of Indonesia during its struggle for independence in the Indonesian National Revolution. In Indonesia they ar ...
started,
Operation Product
Operation Product was a Dutch military offensive against areas of Java and Sumatra controlled by the Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution.Vickers (2005), p. 99 It took place between 21 July and 4 August 1947. Referr ...
. Goedhart felt betrayed by the government, and especially by Wim Schermerhorn of the Labour Party. Embittered by the events he returned to the Netherlands but stayed part of the House and the Labour Party. He argued for a quick solution to the problems in Indonesia. After the second Politionele actie,
Operation Kraai
Operation Kraai (Operation Crow) was a Dutch military offensive against the ''de facto'' Republic of Indonesia in December 1948 after negotiations failed. With the advantage of surprise the Dutch managed to capture the Indonesian Republic's t ...
, had started Goedhart became the first to question the government over excessive use of force by the Dutch military.
In 1952 he became a fierce critic of the new Indonesian government of
Sukarno
Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967.
Sukarno was the leader of ...
, which he saw as struggling under corruption and chaos and thereby could be a possible victim to communism.
After Indonesia gained independence in 1949 Goedhart could focus on other affairs, such as the communist takeover of Eastern-Europe, which concerned him greatly. During the 1950s and 1960s he politically supported the United States, France and Israel in conflicts as the
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
,
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states (primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, S ...
and
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
.
In 1966 he was an opponent of a law which would grant a marriage between Crown Princess
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013.
Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husband ...
and German national
Claus von Amsberg
Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg (born Klaus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg; 6 September 1926 – 6 October 2002) was Prince consort of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until his death in 2002 as the husband ...
.
He was one of five Labour Party members to vote against it.
In May 1970 Goedhart left the Labour Party after being discontent with the party disproval of the American actions in the Vietnam War. Together with one other House member he formed the Group-Goedhart. Goedhart became associated with the
Democratic Socialists '70
The Democratic Socialists '70 ( nl, Democratisch Socialisten '70, DS'70) was a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands.
History
DS'70 was founded on 4 April 1970 as the result of a split from the Labour Party (PvdA). In June 1970, ...
, a party which was formed from discontent Labour Party members.
In 1974 he ended his active political career.
Personal life
Goedhart was married twice. He first married in July 1929 and the marriage was dissolved on 12 November 1945. A month later, he married for the second time on 13 December 1945. Goedhart had three children, a son from his first marriage and a son and daughter from his second marriage.
He was made Knight in the
Order of the Netherlands Lion
The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands ( nl, De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, french: L'Ordre du Lion Néerlandais) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on ...
on 29 April 1955. On 20 November 1970 this was upgraded to Commander, due to his membership of the House of Representatives for twenty-five years.
He died on 3 March 1990 in Amsterdam.
Madelon de Keizer wrote Goedhart's biography titled: ''Frans Goedhart. Journalist en politicus 1904–1990''. The book was published in 2012. De Keizer met Goedhart in 1981 and afterwards frequently met him to discuss ''Het Parool''. In 1985 Goedhart ended contact with De Keizer after being discontented with a public talk by her on the connection between ''Het Parool'' and the founding of the Labour Party. Goedhart's wife and children later did collaborate with her.
References
External links
Profile on Parlement.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goedhart, Frans
1904 births
1990 deaths
Commanders of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Communist Party of the Netherlands politicians
Democratic Socialists '70 politicians
Journalists from Amsterdam
Resistance members from Amsterdam
Labour Party (Netherlands) politicians
Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands)
Politicians from Amsterdam
World War II resistance press activists
20th-century Dutch journalists