Margaretha Albertina Maria "Marga" Klompé (16 August 1912 – 28 October 1986) was a Dutch politician of the defunct

Catholic People's Party The Catholic People's Party ( nl, Katholieke Volkspartij, KVP) was a Catholic Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1945 as a continuation of the Roman Catholic State Party, which was a continuation of ...

(KVP) now merged into the

Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal ( nl, Christen-Democratisch Appèl, ; CDA) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. It was originally formed in 1977 from a confederation of the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolutiona ...

(CDA) party and chemist. She was granted the honorary title of

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ...

on 17 July 1971. Klompé was known for her abilities as a

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

and '' policy wonk''. Recognized as one of the main architects of the post-war Dutch

welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitab ...

, Klompé was granted the honorary title of

on 17 July 1971 and continued to comment on political affairs as a stateswoman until her death at the age of 74 and holds the distinction as the first woman government minister in the Netherlands, the first woman awarded the honorary title of Minister of State, and the fifth longest-serving government minister after

World War II 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

with a total tenure of 11 years, 145 days.

Early life

Margaretha Albertina Maria Klompé was born on 16 August 1912 in

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It i ...

in the

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 ...

into a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

family of five children. Her father was the Dutch J. P. M. Klompé, who owned a stationery shop and her mother was the German-born A. M. J. A. Verdang. Klompé attended a Gymnasium in

from June 1925 until June 1929 and applied at the

Utrecht University Utrecht University (UU; nl, Universiteit Utrecht, formerly ''Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht'') is a public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established , it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2018, it had an enrollm ...

in June 1929

majoring An academic major is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits. A student who successfully completes all courses required for the major qualifies for an undergraduate degree. The word ''major'' (also called ''conc ...

in Chemistry and obtaining a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

in Chemistry degree in April 1931 before graduating with a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast ...

in Chemistry degree in July 1932. During these years, and as a result of her studies, Klompé started to question several aspects of religion and in particular the institute itself. Following this crisis, Klompé's commitment to religion was reinforced which she combined with an open mind. Klompé lived outside the church for a number of years. But after finding her own orientation, more steeped in the mysticism of the Roman Catholic faith, she completely surrendered to it. She emerged from this personal crisis in a deep faithful way, but left it with a lasting respect for other forms of faith. Klompé worked as a science teacher at the Mater Dei High School for girls in

Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

from July 1932 until August 1949. Klompé returned to the Utrecht University in June 1933 for a

postgraduate education Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and str ...

Physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which rel ...

and Mathematics obtaining an Bachelor of Science degree in physics and an

Bachelor of Mathematics A Bachelor of Mathematics (abbreviated B.Math or BMath) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for successfully completing a program of study in mathematics or related disciplines, such as applied mathematics, actuarial science, computatio ...

degree in July 1934 before graduating with an Master of Physics degree and an Master of Mathematics degree in July 1936. On 10 May 1940

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 ...

invaded the Netherlands and the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government ...

fled to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

to escape the

German occupation German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 193 ...

. During the German occupation Klompé continued her study and got an

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' ...

as an

Doctor of Science Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

in Mathematics on 21 April 1941 and as Doctor of Science in Physics on 30 April 1942. Klompé subsequently continued at the Utrecht University in June 1942 for another postgraduate education in

Medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, and Health promotion ...

but in April 1943 the German occupation authority closed the Utrecht University. Klompé joined the Dutch resistance against the German occupiers, as a messenger, soon after the

invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing co ...

in May 1940.

Political career

After the war, Klompé started to focus on politics, which was rather unusual for a woman at the time. Klompé worked as a political activist for the Dutch People's Movement from May 1945 until August 1948. Klompé became a Member of the House of Representatives after Johan van Maarseveen was appointed as

Minister of the Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

in the Cabinet Drees-Van Schaik after the election of 1948, taking office on 12 August 1948 serving as a

frontbencher In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then know ...

and

spokesperson A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...

for

Social Work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

Welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...

Media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...

and deputy spokesperson for

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. ...

and

Culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these grou ...

. Klompé was selected as a Member of the European Coal and Steel Community Parliament and dual served in those positions, taking office on 10 September 1952. After the election of 1956 Klompé was appointed as Minister of Social Work in the Cabinet Drees III, taking office on 13 October 1956. The Cabinet Drees III fell on 11 December 1958 continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1958 when it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Beel II with Klompé continuing as Minister of Social Work, taking office on 22 December 1958. After the election of 1959 Klompé returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 20 March 1959. Following the cabinet formation of 1959 Klompé continued as Minister of Social Work in the Cabinet De Quay, taking office on 19 May 1959. Klompé served as acting Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences from 7 November 1961 until 4 February 1962 and again from 23 April 1963 until 24 July 1963 during two medical leave of absences of

Jo Cals Jozef Maria Laurens Theo "Jo" Cals (18 July 1914 – 30 December 1971) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherland ...

. Her main contribution was the passing of the Social Security Bill in 1963, which replaced the previous Poverty Bill. After the election of 1963 Klompé again returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 2 July 1963. Following the cabinet formation of 1963 Klompé per her own request asked not to be considered for a cabinet post in the new

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

, the Cabinet De Quay was replaced by the Cabinet Marijnen on 24 July 1963 and she continued serving in the House of Representatives serving as a frontbencher chairing the parliamentary committee for Social Work and the special parliamentary committee for Parliamentary Procedures and spokesperson for

Social Affairs A Ministry of Social Affairs or Department of Social Affairs is the common name for a government department found in states where the government is divided into ministries or departments. While there is some variation in the responsibilities of ...

, Education, Social Work, Welfare, Culture and Equality. On 14 October 1966 the incumbent Cabinet Cals fell and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1966 when it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Zijlstra with Klompé again appointed as Minister of Culture, Recreation and Social Work, taking office on 22 November 1966. After the election of 1967 Klompé once again returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office 23 February 1967. Following the cabinet formation of 1967 Klompé remained as Minister of Culture, Recreation and Social Work in the Cabinet De Jong, taking office on 5 April 1967. In January 1971 Klompé announced her retirement from national politics and that she wouldn't stand for the election of 1971. The Cabinet De Jong was replaced by the Cabinet Biesheuvel I on 6 July 1971.

Later life

Klompé retired after spending 23 years in national politics and became active in the

public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, in ...

and occupied numerous seats as a nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (

Bible Society A Bible society is a non-profit organization, usually nondenominational in makeup, devoted to translating, publishing, and distributing the Bible at affordable prices. In recent years they also are increasingly involved in advocating its credib ...

, Dutch Women's Council,

Bernard van Leer Foundation The Bernard van Leer Foundation funds and shares knowledge about work in early childhood development. The foundation was established in 1949 and is based in the Netherlands. It is a member of the Network of European Foundations for Innovative Coo ...

, Society of Prosperity, Dutch Cancer Society, SNV Development Organisation, Open Doors Foundation and the

Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (''Justitia et Pax'') was a pontifical council of the Roman Curia dedicated to "action-oriented studies" for the international promotion of justice, peace, and human rights from the perspective of the ...

) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government ( Council for Culture, Advisory Commission for Emancipation,

Staatsbosbeheer Staatsbosbeheer, founded in 1899, is a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves. Staatsbosbeheer currently oversees over 250,000 hectares of land in the Netherlands. Usually this land is open to the public ...

and the Education Council) and as an advocate and activist for

Poverty reduction Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation, is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty. Measures, like those promoted by Henry George in his economics clas ...

Basic income Universal basic income (UBI) is a social welfare proposal in which all citizens of a given population regularly receive an unconditional transfer payment, that is, without a means test or need to work. It would be received independently of a ...

Women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countr ...

and

European integration European integration is the process of industrial, economic, political, legal, social, and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integration has primarily come about through the European Union and its ...

. Klompé was also a member of several national and international associations, such as the Council of Europe and the Joint Task Force for European Cooperation in Development. In addition, Klompé was involved in the Catholic community. She was a member of the national council for the Bishops' Conference, member of the Papal Commission 'Justitia et Pax', and also founded the union of Roman Catholic female graduates. Furthermore, Klompé supported the underprivileged in society. Therefore, her critics called her 'Our Lady of Perpetual Succour'. Klompé died on 28 October 1986 in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a list of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's ad ...

Decorations

References

External links

;Official *
Dr. M.A.M. (Marga) Klompé
Parlement & Politiek {{DEFAULTSORT:Klompe, Marga 1912 births 1986 deaths Dutch anti-poverty advocates Universal basic income activists Catholic People's Party MEPs Catholic People's Party politicians Dutch expatriates in Italy Dutch nonprofit directors Dutch nonprofit executives Dutch people of German descent Dutch resistance members Dutch Roman Catholics Dutch women activists Dutch women chemists Dutch women mathematicians Dutch women physicists Dutch women's rights activists European integration pioneers Female resistance members of World War II Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau Knights of the Holy Sepulchre Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands) Ministers of Education of the Netherlands Ministers of Social Work of the Netherlands Ministers of Sport of the Netherlands Ministers of State (Netherlands) People from Arnhem Women government ministers of the Netherlands 20th-century women MEPs for the Netherlands 20th-century Dutch educators 20th-century Dutch mathematicians 20th-century Dutch scientists 20th-century Dutch politicians