Lecture: The Forgotten Prime Minister. Gerrit Schimmelpenninck (1794–1863)

Who was actually the first prime minister of the Netherlands? In The Forgotten Prime Minister. Gerrit Schimmelpenninck (1794–1863), Hans Verbeek delves into the remarkable life of Gerrit Schimmelpenninck.

Schimmelpenninck played an important role in 1848, the year in which the Dutch constitution underwent sweeping changes. That year, he became the first politician to hold the office of prime minister, putting him at direct odds with Johan Rudolf Thorbecke, whom he even called ‘my enemy’.

The book takes you through the political events of the time and shows how Schimmelpenninck rose to prominence—and fell from power again. Alongside being a politician, he was director of the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij and a diplomat in London and St Petersburg.

Author Hans Verbeek completed his PhD at the University of Amsterdam in April 2026 for his research into Schimmelpenninck. Afterwards, the book, published by Prometheus, will also be available to buy.