Gerrit van Poelje

Who was Gerrit van Poelje?

Gerrit Abraham van Poelje was a Dutch civil servant, lawyer and Public Administration scholar. He is considered one of the most important founders of the science of Public Administration in The Netherlands.

Van Poelje was born on January 31, 1884 in Maasdijk as the son of Izaak Lodewijk Anthonie, a teacher, and Christine Marie Antoinette Garbrij.

Just like his father, Van Poelje aspired to a career as a teacher. He did not succeed in that profession however, because of speech impediment resulting from a harelip. He then studied law at the Leiden University, where he also obtained his doctorate in law.

In 1914, he married Lucie Charlotte Hansen. They had two children.

Van Poelje's professional career in the municipal administration progressed rapidly and in 1919 he became a top civil servant in the municipality of The Hague.

Because he was taught to write with his right hand, although he was left-handed, his writing was barely readable. Therefore the municipality of The Hague procured a typewriter at his request, although the mayor thought that one could not write his ideas on paper when using a typewriter.