April 13, 2014
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Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (April 13, 1885 – September 7, 1961) was a Dutch politician of the Anti Revolutionary Party (ARP). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from September 3, 1940 until June 24, 1945. He was the Prime Minister of the Dutch government in exile during World War II.

 Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy was born in the village of Goënga near Sneek, in the province of Friesland, in the Netherlands. He was an ethnic Frisian, and his name is styled in the traditional Frisian way: first name ("Pieter"), patronymic ("Sjoerds", meaning "son of Sjoerd"), family name (Gerbrandy).

From 1920 to 1930 he was a member of the States of Friesland for the Anti - Revolutionaire Partij (ARP), and became a professor at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam (1930). Against his party's advice he was Minister of Justice (1939).

The royal family and many leading politicians had fled to London in 1940. There, they formed a government in exile. After De Geer's resignation and because of Gerbrandy's rejection of De Geer's defeatism, Queen Wilhemina appointed him as prime minister of the Dutch government in exile, serving in turn as minister of justice, the Colonies, and the general conduct of the War. On his initiative, the Dutch government started to broadcast from Radio Oranje. This station supplied the Dutch population with information from the free world.

In 1945, after the liberation of the south, he formed a new cabinet without socialists, which was alleged to be strictly subordinated to the military rule. He resigned after the total liberation. He strongly opposed the government's ‘Indonesian policy’, and in 1946 – 50 chaired the National Committee for the Maintenance of the Kingdom's Unity, which was against the separation of Indonesia and supported the idea of a Republic of the South Moluccas.

In 1948 he returned in the Dutch Parliament. However, because of his hot temper, he alienated himself from his party members. In 1956 he was member of a commission, which investigated the affair around Greet Hofmans. In 1959 he resigned as a member of Parliament.

Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy died on September 7, 1961 in The Hague at the age of 76.