Robert van Genechten
Encyclopedia
Robert van Genechten was a Belgian
-born Dutch
politician and writer who was a leading collaborator
during the German occupation of the Netherlands.
at the University of Ghent.
After the Imperial German
forces invaded Belgium in the Great War Van Genechten wasted no time in collaborating with the occupying German forces. After the armistice and end of the war he fled to Netherlands in 1918, receiving an eight year prison sentence in absentia. In Holland he made a living as a lawyer and a teacher at Utrecht University
, taking Dutch citizenship on 14 June 1930.
in 1934 he quickly rose through the party ranks at one time acting as spokesman on education and from 1938 editor in chief of Nieuw Nederland. As a regular writer in the right wing paper he expounded at length on his hatred of rationalism
and humanism
.
In 1937 he wrote a series of articles Van den vos Reynaerde, which was basically a rewrite of the Reynard cycle that attacked the Jews. The articles went on to become a book in 1941 and an animated cartoon
in 1943. Given his pro-Nazi
stance he was interned in Hoorn
prison during the 1940 invasion by the Dutch government.
in which he presided over so-called 'peace courts' introduced by Arthur Seyss-Inquart
. For a time he was also Minister for Education, Arts and Science in Anton Mussert
's proposed cabinet but never took power as the Germans refused to devolve power to the NSB and thus the cabinet never took office.
As the occupation of Holland wore on he fell out of favour with the Germans and in February 1943 he was given the new role of Commissioner for South Holland
, an obvious demotion. Reacting badly to his reduced role he attempted suicide, an act that saw him removed from all positions because of his perceived unstable nature. After the liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian forces
he was arrested and sentenced to death by the Special Court. He was able to commit suicide by hanging himself in his prison cell before the sentence could be carried out.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
-born Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
politician and writer who was a leading collaborator
Collaborationism
Collaborationism is cooperation with enemy forces against one's country. Legally, it may be considered as a form of treason. Collaborationism may be associated with criminal deeds in the service of the occupying power, which may include complicity with the occupying power in murder, persecutions,...
during the German occupation of the Netherlands.
Early years
Van Genechten was born in Antwerp and studied jurisprudenceJurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
at the University of Ghent.
After the Imperial German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
forces invaded Belgium in the Great War Van Genechten wasted no time in collaborating with the occupying German forces. After the armistice and end of the war he fled to Netherlands in 1918, receiving an eight year prison sentence in absentia. In Holland he made a living as a lawyer and a teacher at Utrecht University
Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Established March 26, 1636, it had an enrollment of 29,082 students in 2008, and employed 8,614 faculty and staff, 570 of which are full professors....
, taking Dutch citizenship on 14 June 1930.
Return
When the Statute of limitations ran out on Genechten's Belgium conviction he returned to his native country but he returned to the Netherlands to enter politics. Joining the National Socialist Movement in the NetherlandsNational Socialist Movement in the Netherlands
The National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands was a Dutch fascist and later national socialist political party. As a parliamentary party participating in legislative elections, the NSB had some success during the 1930s...
in 1934 he quickly rose through the party ranks at one time acting as spokesman on education and from 1938 editor in chief of Nieuw Nederland. As a regular writer in the right wing paper he expounded at length on his hatred of rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
and humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
.
In 1937 he wrote a series of articles Van den vos Reynaerde, which was basically a rewrite of the Reynard cycle that attacked the Jews. The articles went on to become a book in 1941 and an animated cartoon
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
in 1943. Given his pro-Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
stance he was interned in Hoorn
Hoorn
-Cities :* Purmerend * Enkhuizen * Alkmaar * Amsterdam * Lelystad * Den Helder * Leeuwarden -Towns :* Edam...
prison during the 1940 invasion by the Dutch government.
Under the Nazis
His fortunes changed once the Nazis took control and he was released from jail to take a role as the appointed Solicitor-General to the Court of Justice in The HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in which he presided over so-called 'peace courts' introduced by Arthur Seyss-Inquart
Arthur Seyss-Inquart
Arthur Seyss-Inquart was a Chancellor of Austria, lawyer and later Nazi official in pre-Anschluss Austria, the Third Reich and for wartime Germany in Poland and the Netherlands...
. For a time he was also Minister for Education, Arts and Science in Anton Mussert
Anton Mussert
Anton Adriaan Mussert was one of the founders of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands and its de jure leader. As such, he was the most prominent national socialist in the Netherlands before and during the Second World War...
's proposed cabinet but never took power as the Germans refused to devolve power to the NSB and thus the cabinet never took office.
As the occupation of Holland wore on he fell out of favour with the Germans and in February 1943 he was given the new role of Commissioner for South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
, an obvious demotion. Reacting badly to his reduced role he attempted suicide, an act that saw him removed from all positions because of his perceived unstable nature. After the liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian forces
First Canadian Army
The First Canadian Army was the senior Canadian operational formation in Europe during the Second World War.The Army was formed in early 1942, replacing the existing unnumbered Canadian Corps, as the growing number of Canadian forces in the United Kingdom necessitated an expansion to two corps...
he was arrested and sentenced to death by the Special Court. He was able to commit suicide by hanging himself in his prison cell before the sentence could be carried out.