Elisabeth Jacoba den Uyl-van Vessem (18 June 1924 – 30 September 1990) was a Dutch activist, politician, and writer, involved with the PvdA, the Dutch social-democratic party. She was the wife of politician Joop den Uyl (prime minister 1973 to 1977), and was socially and politically active. She wrote for magazines including '' Opzij'' (a feminist publication), '' Vrij Nederland'' (a left-off-center publication), '' Margriet'' (a women's magazine), and for '' Het Parool'' (an Amsterdam newspaper).

Biography

Van Vessem was born in Amsterdam and graduated from the Hogereburgerschool, then studied psychology at university. When World War II broke out she had to interrupt her studies, and got a job with

Querido Emanuel Querido (6 August 1871 – 23 July 1943) was a successful Dutch publisher as the founder and owner of N.V. Em. Querido Uitgeversmaatschappij, which published Dutch titles, and of , which published titles of German writers in exile from N ...

, a Dutch publishing company. Around this time she met her future husband; they married on 30 August 1944 and between 1946 and 1965 had four daughters and three sons. She returned to her studies after the war, but stopped after the birth of her second child. Liesbeth den Uyl was a member of an advisory council for the Omroepvereniging VARA, of the local council of the PvdA, board member of the

Rooie Vrouwen in de PvdA Rooie Vrouwen in de PvdA ("Red Women in the PvdA") was the name of a woman's organization active in the Dutch Labour Party, the PvdA. The organization started as a union of women's organizations, called '' "union of social-democrat women's clubs' ...

and president of the Rooie Vrouwen's Amsterdam council, president of Steun Aan Argentijnse Moeders, a support organization for the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, and director of the local council for Buitenveldert. After the death of her husband she wrote ''Ik ben niet goed maar wel gek'', and later ''Beppie van Vessem'', an autobiography. She died at age 66.

Legacy

Two of her children went on to have notable careers in politic: Saskia Noorman-den Uyl (1946) was a member of parliament for the PvdA from 1994 to 2006, and Xander den Uyl (1953) was a secretary for the Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging, ABVA/KABO, a trade union. Barbara den Uyl (1949) became a filmmaker who directs documentaries on political and social matters. The "Liesbeth den Uyl-van Vessem Stichting" is named after her, a foundation that advocates for the rights of women in countries under dictatorial governments, in particular the Argentinian Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. The city of Deventer has a street named for her, and Amsterdam :nl:Liesbeth den Uylbrug, a bridge.

External links

Archief Liesbeth den Uyl
Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis {{DEFAULTSORT:Uyl, Liesbeth den Dutch activists Dutch human rights activists Women human rights activists Labour Party (Netherlands) politicians Dutch women's rights activists 1924 births 1990 deaths Spouses of prime ministers of the Netherlands