Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart in 1944 | |
| United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees | |
| In office 1 January 1951 – 8 July 1956 | |
| Secretary-General | Trygve Lie (1951–1952) Dag Hammarskjöld (1953–1956) |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | August R. Lindt |
| Senator of the Netherlands | |
| In office 22 October 1947 – 1 January 1951 | |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 11 July 1944 – 23 February 1945 | |
| Prime Minister | Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy |
| Preceded by | Jan van Angeren |
| Succeeded by | Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gerrit Jan Goedhart (1901-03-19)19 March 1901 |
| Died | 8 July 1956(1956-07-08) (aged 55) |
| Political party | Labour Party(from 1946) |
| Other political affiliations | Independent Social Democrat(1944–1946) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Karin Sophie van Heuven Goedhart (1934–2013) Bergliot Halldis van Heuven Goedhart (born 1936) (second marriage) |
| Alma mater | Leiden University (Bachelor of Laws,Master of Laws,Doctor of Philosophy) |
| Occupation | Politician ·Diplomat ·Jurist ·Journalist ·Editor ·Author |
Gerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart (19 March 1901 – 8 July 1956) was a Dutch politician, diplomat and journalist. A member of theLabour Party (PvdA), he wasMinister of Justice from 1944 to 1945 under Prime MinisterPieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy. He later served as the firstUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1951 until 1956.[1]
Van Heuven Goedhart was born on 19 March 1901 inBussum,North Holland. His father, Gijsbert Willem Goedhart, was a Protestant vicar. His mother was Francina Dingena Helena van Heuven. Van Heuven Goedhart was initially called Goedhart, but in 1933 he received permission to add his mother's maiden name to his surname. Van Heuven Goedhart studied law atLeiden University and graduated in 1926. The year before, he had already become a reporter for newspaperDe Telegraaf. On 1 January 1930, at the age of 28, he was promoted toeditor in chief. He was fired on 1 June 1933 because he refused to publish an article that called thenewly electedGerman leaderAdolf Hitler "a great statesman". He became editor in chief of regional newspaperUtrechts Nieuwsblad, where he would stay in office until theGerman invasion of the Netherlands.
DuringWorld War II, Van Heuven Goedhart worked as a reporter and editor in chief for the illegalresistance newspaperHet Parool. In 1944 he fled toLondon, where he was appointedMinister of Justice in thegovernment in exile.
After the World War II, Van Heuven Goedhart returned to Het Parool, where he once again become editor in chief. In 1947, he also becameSenator for theLabour Party. In 1951, he gave up both occupations to become the firstHigh Commissioner for Refugees of theUnited Nations. Under Van Heuven Goedhart, the UNHCR was awarded the1954 Nobel Peace Prize.
Van Heuven Goedhart was also the first chairman of the "state committee for the coordination of government information" (Dutch:Staatscommissie over de coördinatie van de overheidsvoorlichting), the predecessor of theNetherlands Government Information Service (Dutch:Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst).
Van Heuven Goedhart married Francis Becht (1899–1987) in 1924. The marriage was dissolved in 1931. In 1932, Van Heuven Goedhart marriedNorwegian Erna Hauan (1899–1991). Van Heuven Goedhart had two children from his second marriage, Karin Sophie and Bergliot Halldis.[2][3] Van Heuven Goedhart died inGeneva on 8 July 1956, while being United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
| Honours | ||||
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Knight of theOrder of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 30 April 1949 | |
| Awards | ||||
| Ribbon bar | Awards | Organization | Date | Comment |
 | Nansen Refugee Award | United Nations | 1956 | Posthumously |
| Wateler Peace Prize | Carnegie Foundation | 1956 | Posthumously | |
Media related toGerrit Jan van Heuven Goedhart at Wikimedia Commons
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister of Justice 1944–1945 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Office established | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 1951–1956 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
