Marcellus Franciscus Gerardus Maria "Marcel" van Grunsven (4 December 1896,
Gennep
Gennep () is a municipality and a city in upper southeastern Netherlands. It lies in the very northern part of the province of Limburg, 18 km south of Nijmegen. Furthermore, it lies on the right bank of the Meuse river, and south of the forest o ...
- 24 July 1969,
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.
...
) was
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Heerlen from 1926 to 1961. He led Heerlen through the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, 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 ...
, and the booming mining years. He didn’t fear personal sacrifice, like
salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis.
...
cuts. Imminently after his installment he turned Heerlen politics around, also eliminating the city's debt.
Together with
city planners and
architects
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
, for instance
Frits Peutz
F.P.J. Peutz (7 April 1896 – 24 October 1974) was a Dutch (Limburgian) architecture, architect.
Biography
Peutz was born in a Catholic family in Uithuizen in Groningen (province), Groningen, a mostly Protestant province in the north of the Neth ...
, he bettered the infrastructure of Heerlen, trying to fix
social-economical problems. He was also a lover of arts and culture stimulating it in the city. He was made an honorary citizen of Heerlen and the culture prize of Heerlen is named after him (''Van Grunsvenprijs'').
1896 births
1969 deaths
Mayors of Heerlen
People from Gennep
{{Netherlands-mayor-stub