This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2019) |
Willem "Wim" Polak (14 September 1924 – 1 October 1999) was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and economist.[1]
Wim Polak | |
|---|---|
 Wim Polak in 1982 | |
| Member of the Council of State | |
| In office 16 April 1984 – 1 October 1994 | |
| Vice President | Willem Scholten |
| Mayor of Amsterdam | |
| In office 15 June 1977 – 1 June 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Louis Kuijpers (Ad interim) |
| Succeeded by | Enneüs Heerma (Ad interim) |
| State Secretary for the Interior | |
| In office 11 May 1973 – 1 May 1977 | |
| Prime Minister | Joop den Uyl |
| Preceded by | Jan van Stuijvenberg |
| Succeeded by | Henk Koning |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Willem Polak 14 September 1924 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Died | 1 October 1999 (aged 75) Ilpendam, Netherlands |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Political party | Labour Party (from 1946) |
| Other political affiliations | Social Democratic Workers' Party (1945–1946) |
| Spouse |
Johanna van 't Kruijs
(m. 1947) |
| Children | 1 son and 1 daughter |
| Alma mater | University of Amsterdam (Bachelor of Economics) |
| Occupation | Politician · Civil servant · Economist · Journalist · Editor · Author · Corporate director · Nonprofit director |
Polak was born to a Jewish merchant family in Amsterdam on 14 September 1924. His parents were murdered by the Nazis during the German Occupation of the Netherlands. After the Second World War, he worked as a journalist for Het Vrije Volk. Polak was appointed Secretary of State for local finances in Joop den Uyl's government. He worked towards improving the financial position of the larger Dutch cities. Subsequently, he became mayor of Amsterdam for a six-year period, where his challenges included numerous squatting cases as well as riots related to Queen Beatrix's coronation.
He died in 1999 at his home in Ilpendam.
Decorations
edit| Honours | ||||
| Ribbon bar | Honour | Country | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion | Netherlands | 11 April 1978 | |
|
Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau | Netherlands | 1 June 1983 | |
References
edit- ^ "Polak, Willem (1924-1999)" (in Dutch). Huygens ING. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
External links
edit
- Official
- (in Dutch) W. (Wim) Polak Parlement & Politiek
  | This article about a mayor in the Netherlands is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a Dutch Labour Party politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |