David van Embden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David van Embden (October 22, 1875, The Hague - February 14, 1962, Amsterdam), was a Dutch politician, first for the Free-minded Democratic League (Dutch: Vrijzinnig Democratische Bond, VDB), later for the Labour Party (Dutch: Partij van de Arbeid, PvdA).
He studied law at the municipal university of Amsterdam and in 1901, he graduated cum laude. Raised in the Portuguese-Jewish community in the Netherlands, in 1905 he married a Christian. From 1905 to 1941 he was professor of economics and statistics at the municipal university of Amsterdam.
From 1905 he was a party worker for the VDB in the Tweede Kamer (literally, "Second Chamber"), the lower house in the bicameral Dutch parliament. From 1910 to 1916 he was a member of the Amsterdam provincial parliament. From 1918 to 1946 he was member of the Eerste Kamer (literally, "First Chamber"), the upper house of the Dutch parliament. His sister was at that time also a member of parliament for the VDB. As a member of parliament he was a proponent of national disarmament. His pacifism was strongly influenced by his religious conviction. He also advocated decolonization, and progressive social and economic programs.
After the Germans invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940 in the Second World War, van Embden fled during the night of May 13-14, 1940 to the United Kingdom. After the war, in 1946, he joined the Labour Party (PvdA). He became also member of the party's governing board for Amsterdam-East. He also resumed his professorship. Van Embden died in 1962. He was a very popular person.
