Dirk Jan de Geer

Who was Dirk Jan de Geer?

Jonkheer Dirk Jan de Geer was a Dutch nobleman, lawyer, conservative statesman and prime minister of the Netherlands. He was disgraced for advocating a peace settlement between the Kingdom and Nazi Germany in 1940.

Born in Groningen, he was a descendant of the de Geer family painted by Rembrandt. After receiving his doctorate in law in 1895, De Geer worked as a journalist and acted as town councillor of Rotterdam. He served from 1907 as a Christian Historical member of Parliament.

De Geer was a stable and respected politician before the war. From 1920 to 1921 de Geer served as mayor of Arnhem. Between 1921 and 1923 de Geer served as Minister of Finance. He resigned in 1923 because of his disagreement with the Naval Law of 1924. From 1925-1926 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.