Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy was a member of the Dutch government in London and from May ’42 Minister of General Warfare.
Person
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy[1] was a member of the Dutch government in London. In September 1940 he was made a minister in the exiled government at the request of Queen Wilhelmina. In May 1942 he was appointed Minister of General Warfare. He lived in the Browns Hotel in the West End and was heard regularly on Radio Oranje in occupied Netherlands.[2]
On 10 May 1944 he spoke in London at the remembrance of the German invasion. The BBC broadcast this event, which was concluded by Van Dorp.[3] Anne's entry of 11 May 1944 suggests that those hiding in the Annex had listened to this broadcast.[4]
In June 1947 Otto Frank sent him a copy of Het Achterhuis. In the accompanying letter he referred to these speeches. Gerbrandy wrote a thank you note on 4 July to the ‘Highly Esteemed Miss Frank’.[5]
Footnotes
- ^ Anne refers to him as: Gerbrandi. Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 14 April 1944, in: The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
- ^ See http://www.parlement.com/id/vg09ll0zrpzx/p_s_pieter_gerbrandy (consulted in March 2012).
- ^ Amigoe di Curaçao, 11 mei 1944.
- ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 11 May 1944, in: The Collected Works.
- ^ Anne Frank Stichting, Anne Frank Collectie, Otto Frank Archief, reg. code OFA_100: Correspondentie Otto Frank.