Arie Adriaan "Aat" van Rhijn (23 October 1892 – 11 February 1986) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Christian Historical Union (CHU) party and later of the Labour Party (PvdA) and jurist.[1]

Aat van Rhijn
Aat van Rhijn in 1944
Member of the Council of State
In office
1 October 1960 – 1 November 1967
Vice PresidentLouis Beel
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
3 July 1956 – 3 October 1956
Parliamentary groupLabour Party
State Secretary for Social
Affairs
and Health
In office
15 September 1951 – 22 December 1958
Serving with Piet Muntendam (1951–1953)
Prime MinisterWillem Drees
Preceded byHimself
as State Secretary for Social Affairs
Succeeded byBauke Roolvink
State Secretary for Social Affairs
In office
15 February 1950 – 15 September 1951
Serving with Piet Muntendam
Prime MinisterWillem Drees
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byHimself
as State Secretary for Social
Affairs and Health
President of the Court of Audit
In office
1 May 1941 – 15 July 1945
Ad interim
Preceded byRudolph Zuyderhoff
Succeeded byTheodorus Sanders
Minister of Agriculture
and Fisheries
In office
8 May 1940 – 1 May 1941
Prime MinisterDirk Jan de Geer
(1940)
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy
(1940–1941)
Preceded byMax Steenberghe
as Minister of Economic Affairs
Succeeded byMax Steenberghe
Personal details
Born
Arie Adriaan van Rhijn

(1892-10-23)23 October 1892
Groningen, Netherlands
Died11 February 1986(1986-02-11) (aged 93)
The Hague, Netherlands
Political partyLabour Party (from 1946)
Other political
affiliations
Christian Historical Union
(1912–1946)
Alma materUniversity of Groningen
(Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
Utrecht University
(Bachelor of Public Administration, Master of Public Administration, Doctor of Philosophy)
OccupationPolitician · civil servant · jurist · economist · researcher · corporate director · nonprofit director · trade association executive · author

Van Rhijn worked as a researcher at the Utrecht University from April 1918 until July 1920 and as a civil servant for the Ministry of Water Management from June 1918 until July 1919. Van Rhijn worked as a trade association executive for the Publishing companies association (NUV) from July 1919 until January 1928 and also the Christian Employers' association (NCW) from April 1926 until January 1928. Van Rhijn worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industry as Director-General of the department for Public Health from January 1928 until June 1933 and for the Ministry of Economic Affairs as Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Economic Affairs from June 1933 until May 1940 and also for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries as Secretary-General of the Ministry Agriculture and Fisheries from September 1935 until June 1937. Van Rhijn was appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Cabinet De Geer II after the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries was officially split from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, taking office on 8 May 1940. On 10 May 1940 Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands and the government fled to London to escape the German occupation. The Cabinet De Geer II fell on 26 August 1940 after a conflict between Queen Wilhelmina and Prime Minister Dirk Jan de Geer and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the Cabinet Gerbrandy I with Van Rhijn continuing as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, taking office on 3 September 1940. In April 1941 Van Rhijn was nominated as a Member of the Court of Audit but because the President of the Court of Audit Rudolph Zuyderhoff stayed behind after the government fled to London Van Rhijn became the De facto President of the Court of Audit, he resigned as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries the day he was installed as President of the Court of Audit, taking office on 1 May 1941.

Following the end of World War II Van Rhijn returned as a civil servant for the Ministry of Social Affairs as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Social Affairs in July 1945. On 9 February 1946 the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP), the Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) choose to merge to form the Labour Party (PvdA), Van Rhijn left the Christian Historical Union and joined the new Labour Party. Van Rhijn was appointed as State Secretary for Social Affairs in the Cabinet Drees–Van Schaik, taking office on 15 February 1950. The Cabinet Drees–Van Schaik fell on 24 January 1951 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1951 when it was replaced by Cabinet Drees I with Van Rhijn continuing as State Secretary for Social Affairs, taking office on 15 March 1951. On 15 September 1951 the Ministry of Social Affairs was renamed as the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health with Van Rhijn reappointed as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Health. After the election of 1952 Van Rhijn again continued as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Health in the Cabinet Drees II, taking office on 2 September 1952. Van Rhijn was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1956, taking office on 3 July 1956. Following the cabinet formation of 1956 Van Rhijn remained State Secretary for Social Affairs and Health in the Cabinet Drees III, taking office on 13 October 1956. The Cabinet Drees III fell on 11 December 1958 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Beel II on 22 December 1958. In January 1959 Van Rhijn announced that he would not stand for the election of 1959. In September 1960 Van Rhijn was nominated as Member of the Council of State, serving from 1 October 1960 until 1 November 1967.

Van Rhijn was known for his abilities as a manager and policy wonk. He holds the distinction as the second longest-serving State Secretary for Social Affairs after Louw de Graaf with 8 years.

Decorations

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Honours
Ribbon bar Honour Country Date Comment
  Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Netherlands 6 May 1946
  Officer of the Order of Leopold II Belgium 21 March 1952
  Knight of the Order of the Oak Crown Luxembourg 8 March 1957
  Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 22 December 1958

References

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  1. ^ "Rhijn, Arie Adriaan van (1892–1986)" (in Dutch). Huygens ING. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
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  Media related to Aat van Rhijn at Wikimedia Commons

Official
Political offices
Preceded by
Max Steenberghe
as Minister of Economic Affairs
Minister of Agriculture
and Fisheries

1940–1941
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Office established
State Secretary for Social Affairs
1950–1951
With: Piet Muntendam
Succeeded by
Himself
as State Secretary for Social
Affairs and Health
Preceded by
Himself
as State Secretary
for Social Affairs
State Secretary for Social
Affairs
and Health

1951–1958
With: Piet Muntendam
(1951–1953)
Succeeded by
Civic offices
Preceded by
Unknown
Director-General of the Department for
Public Health of the
Ministry of Labour, Commerce
and Industry

1928–1933
Succeeded by
Unknown
Preceded by
Arend Scholtens
Secretary-General of the
Ministry of Economic Affairs

1933–1940
Succeeded by
Hans Hirschfeld
Ad interim
Preceded by
Office established
Secretary-General of the
Ministry of Agriculture
and Fisheries

1933–1937
Succeeded by
Office discontinued
Preceded by
Rudolph Zuyderhoff
President of the Court of Audit
Ad interim

1941–1945
Succeeded by
Theodorus Sanders
Preceded by
Robert Verwey
Secretary-General of the
Ministry of Social Affairs

1945–1950
Succeeded by
Johann Klatte