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Dirk Fock

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His Excellency
Dirk Fock
Dirk Fock in 1921
Parliamentary Leader in the Senate
In office
1932–1935
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
In office
24 March 1921 – 6 September 1926
MonarchWilhelmina
Preceded byJohan Paul van Limburg Stirum
Succeeded byAndries Cornelis Dirk de Graeff
Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
25 January 1917 – 8 October 1920
Preceded byHendrik Borgesius
Succeeded byDionysius Koolen
Governor-General of Suriname
In office
10 August 1908 – 30 June 1911
MonarchWilhelmina
Preceded byPieter Crull [nl] (ad interim)
Succeeded byLouis Couquerque [nl]
Minister of Colonial Affairs
In office
17 August 1905 – 12 February 1908
Prime MinisterTheo de Meester
Preceded byAlexander Idenburg
Succeeded byTheo Heemskerk (ad interim)
Personal details
Born(1858-06-19)19 June 1858
Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands
Died17 October 1941(1941-10-17) (aged 83)
The Hague, Netherlands
Political partyLiberal State Party
Other political
affiliations		Liberal Union (1885–1921)
Spouses
Wilhelmina Doffegnies
​
​
(m. 1881; died 1913)​
Alida Diemont
​
​
(m. 1926; died 1931)​
Occupation
  • Politician
  • diplomat
  • lawyer

Dirk Fock (19 June 1858 – 17 October 1941) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the defunct Liberal State Party (LSP) now merged into the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). He served as Governor of Suriname (1908–1911), Speaker of the House of Representatives (1917–1921) and Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1921–1926).[1]

Biography

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Fock was born on 19 June 1858 in Wijk bij Duurstede as child of Maria Anna Uittenhooven (1830-1909) and Cornelis Fock (1828-1910), from the known Fock-dynasty.[1] After attending Gymnasium Haganum, Fock studied law at Leiden University from 1875 to 1880.[2] After graduating, Fock went to the Dutch East Indies (now: Indonesia) where he worked as a lawyer and prosecutor in Batavia until 1898.[3] He did marry there in 1881 to Wilhelmina Doffegnies, who gave birth to five children, among them the later renowned music director Dirk Fock (or Dick Foch), father of American actress Nina Foch.

In 1899, the family returned to the Netherlands and Fock started practising law in Rotterdam.[3] On 17 September 1901, he was first elected to the States General of the Netherlands for the Liberal State Party.[1] On 17 August 1905, he was appointed Minister of Colonial Affairs in the De Meester cabinet. During his tenure, he enhanced and extended education in the colonies,[3] and served until 12 February 1908.[1]

On 10 Augustus 1908, Fock was appointed Governor-General of Suriname.[1] During his tenure, he tried to stimulate the economy by developing the banana industry. There was increased immigration of indentured workers from British India and Java. Plans to further develop the healthcare and educational system were blocked by the States General.[4] He served until 1 July 1911.[1]

In 1913 his wife died. In the same year Fock was re-elected to the States General, and became the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1917. In 1916 Fock married for the second time with Alida Diemont.

On 3 April 1919, he temporarily resigned from the States General, after Governor van Limburg Stirum of the Dutch East Indies pleaded for radical changes in the colony which was at odds with Fock's view of a gentle evolution.[3] On 14 October 1920, he permanently resigned.[1]

On 24 March 1921, Fock was appointed Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies succeeding his former adversary van Limburg Stirum.[1] He arrived in the colony during a severe financial crisis, and the books were finally balanced in 1925. In 1923, he passed article 161bis of the Criminal Law, which criminalised incitements of strikes. In 1925, he passed the Wet op de Staatsinrichting (Constitutional Act) which allowed the Dutch East Indies to pass internal legislation without the approval of the States General.[3] He served until 6 September 1926.[1]

On 17 September 1929, Fock was elected to the Senate, and became Parliamentary leader on 20 September 1932. He retired on 17 September 1935.[1] In 1930, he was a member of the Dutch delegation to the League of Nations and in 1931, he was in charge of creating the Dutch pavilion of the Paris Colonial Exposition.[5]

Fock died on 17 October 1941 in The Hague, at the age of 83.[5]

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j (in Dutch) Mr.dr. D. (Dirk) Fock, Parlement & Politiek. Retrieved on 17 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Mr.dr. D. (Dirk) Fock". Nederlandse Grondwet. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e F. van Anrooij (2013). "Fock, Dirk (1858-1941)". Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Uit de Pers". De West : nieuwsblad uit en voor Suriname (in Dutch). 20 October 1911. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Mr. Dr. D. Fock". Het Vaderland (in Dutch). 18 October 1941. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
[edit]
  • Media related to Dirk Fock at Wikimedia Commons
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Colonial Affairs
1905–1908 		Succeeded by
Theo Heemskerk (interim)
Preceded by Speaker of the House of Representatives
1913–1917 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
1921–1926 		Succeeded by
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