Willem Drees - Definition and Overview

Willem Drees (July 5, 1886-May 14, 1988) was a Dutch politician, prime minister of the Netherlands from 1948 until 1958, as a member of the social-democratic Dutch Labour Party (PvdA).

Born in Amsterdam, Drees was known as Vadertje Drees ("Father Drees"), and was very popular. During his office as a prime minister, the Netherlands recovered from the Second World War and Decolonization took place. Drees also held the cabinet postition of Minister of State in 1959. He died in The Hague in 1988.

Both his sons Jan and Willem (1922-1998) were active members of the PvdA, but left the party around 1970 to join DS '70 (Democratic Socialists '70). The cause was a row with younger party members who wanted to plot a more marxist course for the party. Willem Drees would soon follow suit, leaving the PvdA without its icon.

Biography Willem Drees (http://www.iisg.nl/bwsa/bios/drees.html)

W. Drees, Gespiegeld in de tijd. De nagelaten autobiografie (Amsterdam 2000). (Memoir by Willem Drees, jr.)