Herman Witte

Herman Bernard Jan Witte (18 August 1909 – 30 May 1973) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and civil engineer.

Herman Witte
Herman Witte in 1966
Minister of Housing
and Spatial Planning
In office
22 November 1966  5 April 1967
Prime MinisterJelle Zijlstra
Preceded byPieter Bogaers
Succeeded byWim Schut
Mayor of Eindhoven
In office
5 April 1967  30 May 1973
Preceded byJan van Stuijvenberg (Ad interim)
Succeeded byJaap van der Lee
In office
16 October 1959  22 November 1966
Preceded byCharles van Rooy
Succeeded byJan van Stuijvenberg (Ad interim)
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
20 March 1959  16 October 1959
Parliamentary groupCatholic People's Party
Minister of Transport and
Water Management
In office
10 October 1958  1 November 1958
Ad interim
Prime MinisterWillem Drees
Preceded byJacob Algera
Succeeded byJan van Aartsen
Minister of Housing
and Construction
In office
13 October 1956  19 May 1959
Prime MinisterWillem Drees (1956–1958)
Louis Beel (1958–1959)
Preceded byHimself
as Minister of Reconstruction
and Housing
Succeeded byJan van Aartsen
Minister of Reconstruction
and Housing
In office
2 September 1952  13 October 1956
Prime MinisterWillem Drees
Preceded byJoris in 't Veld
Succeeded byHimself
as Minister of Housing
and Construction
Mayor of Bergen op Zoom
In office
1 May 1945  2 September 1952
Preceded byHenk Lijnkamp
Succeeded byLeonard Peters
Personal details
Born
Herman Bernard Jan Witte

(1909-08-18)18 August 1909
Harlingen, Netherlands
Died30 May 1973(1973-05-30) (aged 63)
Eindhoven, Netherlands
Cause of deathBrain tumor
NationalityDutch
Political partyCatholic People's Party
(from 1945)
Other political
affiliations
Roman Catholic
State Party
(until 1945)
Spouse(s)
Angelina Wüst
(
m. 1939; his death 1973)
Children4 sons and 2 daughters
Alma materDelft Institute of Technology
(Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Engineering)
OccupationPolitician · Civil servant · Civil engineer · Corporate director · Nonprofit director · Academic administrator
Military service
Allegiance Netherlands
Branch/serviceRoyal Netherlands Army
Years of service1933–1939 (Reserve)
1939–1940 (Active duty)
Rank Second lieutenant
UnitNational Reserve Corps
Battles/warsWorld War II

Witte applied at the Delft Institute of Technology in June 1927 majoring in civil engineering and obtaining an Bachelor of Engineering degree before graduating with an Master of Engineering degree in July 1933. Witte worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of Water Management as a civil engineer at the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management from July 1933 until August 1939 and as a civil servant for municipality of Bergen op Zoom as director of Public Works from August 1939 until June 1940. Witte also served in the military reserve force of the Royal Netherlands Army and was mobilized on in April 1940 before Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands. Witte was captured following the Battle of Zeeland and was detained from May 1940 until August 1940. During the German occupation Witte was associated with members of the Dutch resistance. Following the end of World War II Queen Wilhelmina Witte was appointed as acting Mayor of Bergen op Zoom, taking office on 1 May 1945. One year later on 1 May 1946 he was made permanent Mayor. After the election of 1952 Witte was appointed as Minister of Reconstruction and Housing in the Cabinet Drees II, taking office on 2 September 1952. After the election of 1956 Witte continued in the post as the newly renamed Minister of Housing and Construction in the Cabinet Drees III, taking office on 13 October 1956. Witte served as acting Minister of Transport and Water Management from 10 October 1958 until 1 November 1958 following the resignation of Jacob Algera.

The Cabinet Drees III fell on 11 December 1958 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Beel II with Witte continuing as Minister of Housing and Construction, taking office on 22 December 1958. Witte was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1959, taking office on 20 March 1959. Following the cabinet formation of 1959 Witte was not giving a cabinet post in the new cabinet, the Cabinet Beel II was replaced by the Cabinet De Quay on 19 May 1959 and he continued to serve in the House of Representatives as a frontbencher. In September 1959 Witte was nominated as Mayor of Eindhoven, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives the day he was installed as Mayor, taking office on 16 October 1959. On 14 October 1966 the Cabinet Cals fell and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Zijlstra with Witte taking a leave of absence as Mayor and was again appointed as Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning, taking office on 22 November 1966. Witte who had previously announced that he was only wiling to serve in the caretaker Cabinet Zijlstra didn't stand for the election of 1967, the Cabinet Zijlstra was replaced by the Cabinet De Jong on 5 April 1967 and he returned as Mayor of Eindhoven the same day, serving from 5 April 1967 until 30 May 1973.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon barHonourCountryDateComment
Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Holy See 4 October 1954
Commander of the Order of Leopold II Belgium 30 September 1955
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 27 April 1967 Elevated from Grand Officer (9 June 1959)
Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Netherlands 30 May 1973
gollark: It's ~80GB.
gollark: Why not airdrop people the entire content of Wikipedia?
gollark: I have literally never seen something more humorous.
gollark: That is intensely funny.
gollark: Then it should be fast, clearly.

References

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Henk Lijnkamp
    Mayor of Bergen op Zoom
    1945–1952
    Succeeded by
    Leonard Peters
    Preceded by
    Joris in 't Veld
    Minister of Reconstruction
    and Housing

    1952–1956
    Succeeded by
    Himself
    as Minister of Housing
    and Construction
    Preceded by
    Himself
    as Minister of Reconstruction
    and Housing
    Minister of Housing
    and Construction

    1956–1959
    Succeeded by
    Jan van Aartsen
    Preceded by
    Jacob Algera
    Minister of Transport and
    Water Management

    Ad interim

    1958
    Preceded by
    Charles van Rooy
    Mayor of Eindhoven
    1959–1966
    1967–1973
    Succeeded by
    Jan van Stuijvenberg
    Ad interim
    Preceded by
    Jan van Stuijvenberg
    Ad interim
    Succeeded by
    Jaap van der Lee
    Preceded by
    Pieter Bogaers
    Minister of Housing
    and Spatial Planning

    1966–1967
    Succeeded by
    Wim Schut
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.