Johan Rudolf Thorbecke , born the January 14th 1798 with Zwolle, dead the June 4th 1872 with $the Hague, is a Politician Dutch.

Biography

After studies of graeco-latin letters with Amsterdam and Leyde, Thorbecke spent four years in Germany, where it met good number of professors and writers. These years exerted a deep influence on him: it highly was interested in German philosophy, and especially in the philosophy of the history.

It could think of another future only that of professor of philosophy, but in the Netherlands one feared these German influences somewhat, and it is not that in 1825 qu ' it obtained a pulpit with the Université of Ghent, but it was that of political sciences and diplomatic.

Because of the Belgian insurrection of 1830, it had to flee and leave its pulpit; one year afterwards, it was named with the Université of Leyde. It is there that he became specialist in the constitutions (historical and international). Little by little, it became increasingly critical towards the constitution of the Netherlands of then. It published its “Notes on the constitution” ( Aanteekening COp of Grondwet ), delivers important which made known it of more a general public, and it is as from this time that some started to see in him a leader of the opposition known as “liberal”.

Its political beginnings

One year later, in 1840, he was elected at the Parliament, not as a professional: he continued to exert his function of professor. In 1844, he proposed with eight other members of the Parliament a constitutional reform, but this proposal was disallowed by a great majority.

In 1848, the king Guillaume II, seeing in the adjoining countries revolts and insurrections, understood that it was necessary to do something to avoid similar disorders in the Netherlands. He named a committee charged to write a new constitution. The president of the committee was Thorbecke, and the constitution suggested was mainly its work.

With some modifications, this constitution was accepted by the Parliament (without much enthusiasm besides). It was revolutionist in his turn in what it introduced of the direct elections, freedom of the worships (what put an end to discrimination towards the catholics), the ministerial responsibility, and in what it reduced considerably the capacity of the king.

From 1849, Thorbecke was chief of three governments; its legislative activity was extraordinary, and its influence was durable.

Intellectual development

Through his rich person correspondence, one can follow his intellectual development. Young boy, it can see in only one tyrant, and it with the French revolution of horror. Later, he will recognize the beneficial consequences of them; he will not see it any more like one aberration of the history, but as by forming integral part.

Its family was of German origin and Lutheran (a minority in the Netherlands). He could widen his intellectual horizon, initially in Leyde, then during his voyage through Germany, and then during his stay in Ghent, where for the first time of his life he lived out of catholic ground.

He always had very vast and varied historical readings, but he also followed closely the developments of the international policy. Thus it could take its distances compared to what was regarded as normal in the Netherlands, and see what was necessary as regards legislation to make Kingdom of the Netherlands a Constitutional monarchy modern.

External bonds

• Obituary of Thorbecke per Albert Réville
• Site devoted to Thorbecke

Simple: Johan Rudolf Thorbecke

Random links:

Luca Ghini | Shall We Dance? (film, 1996) | CBS Corporation | Bernard de Bonnard | Kerry Fox