Dirk Jan de Geer

Born in Groningen, he was a descendant of the De Geer family. After receiving his J.D. in 1895, De Geer worked as a journalist and acted as the town councillor of Rotterdam (1901–1907).

He served from 1907 as a Christian Historical member of Parliament. De Geer was a stable and respected politician before World War II. From 1920 to 1921 de Geer served as mayor of Arnhem. Between 1921 and 1923 he served as Minister of Finance. He resigned in 1923 because of his disagreement with the Naval Law of 1924. From 1925 to 1926 he served as minister of the interior and minister of agriculture. He was Prime Minister from 8 March 1926 to 10 August 1929. He also served as Minister of Finances from 1926 to 1933.

After the end of the fifth cabinet of Colijn he was again asked to form a government in August 1939, concurrently holding the office of Minister of Finance and of General Affairs. However, he was not suited for the role of prime minister of a nation at war as he knew himself. When the Germans attacked the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, the situation soon became very serious. Because of this, the government decided to flee to London.

When in London, De Geer advocated negotiating a separate peace between the Netherlands and the Third Reich, which damaged the Dutch government and Dutch morale by openly stating that the war could never be won. He was finally removed from office on the instigation of Queen Wilhelmina, and replaced by Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy, officially on account of ill-health.[1]

Later on, he was sent with a diplomatic package to the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. He never arrived there: on a stopover in Portugal, he left and returned via Berlin to his ailing wife and the rest of his family[2] in the Netherlands with the permission of the Germans. This greatly angered Queen Wilhelmina, who called him a traitor and deserter to the Dutch cause. He later wrote a controversial leaflet with "instructions" for the people on how to co-operate with the Germans. "With this pamphlet", the Dutch government in exile stated in a broadcast, "the writer has betrayed the Netherlands people, whatever happens to him personally."[2] Wilhelmina warned De Geer that if he went on to publish this, he would be put on trial after the conclusion of the war.[3]

With the permission of the Nazis,[2] De Geer went through with the publication. After the war, he was duly accused and brought to trial. He was found guilty and stripped of all of his honorary titles. The Appeal Court confirmed the sentence of a year's imprisonment for high treason in time of war, with three years' probation, but waived the fine of 20,000 guilders and his deprivation of the title "Minister of State".[4] He died some 15 years later in Soest.

On 11 August 1904, De Geer married Maria Voorhoeve (1 May 1883 – 6 April 1955).[5][6]

His grandson is ex-footballer Boudewijn de Geer, and his great-grandson is current footballer Mike de Geer.

De Geer died on 28 November 1960 at Soest, Netherlands at the age of 89, 16 days before his 90th birthday and several years after suffering a stroke.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dirk Jan de Geer.

• Newspaper clippings about Dirk Jan de Geer in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW

• (in Dutch) Jhr.Mr. D.J. (Dirk) de Geer Parlement & Politiek