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Bram van der Lek
writer
- May 20, 1931
- November 29, 2013
- 82 years
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About Bram van der Lek
Bram van der Lek, 82, Dutch politician, MP (1967–1971, 1972–1978), Senator (1983–1984), member of the European Parliament (1984–1989).
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Full Biography
|Bram van der Lek (20 May 1931 – 29 November 2013) was a Dutch politician, biologist and author. Representing the Pacifist Socialist Party, he was a member of the House of Representatives from 1967 until 1971 and from 1972 until 1978 during which he was the PSP's parliamentary leader, the Senate from 1983 until 1984, and the European Parliament from 1984 until 1989. He also wrote a book in 1972, Het Milieuboekje (The Environment Booklet), which was about environmental issues of the time.
Biography
Van der Lek was born in 1931 in Delft. In 1950 he moved to The Hague to complete his secondary education at the Gymnasium Haganum. He then went on to study biology at the University of Utrecht until 1956. Two years after finishing his studies, he joined the PSP. From 1961 to 1967, he worked as a biology teacher at the progressive Kees Boeke school in Bilthoven. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Utrecht in 1967, with a thesis on the effect of light on pigment cells in the skin of tadpoles.
In 1967, Van der Lek was first elected to the House of Representatives, where he would become known for his peculiar personal style, becoming for instance the first person to speak in front of the House of Representatives while wearing a sweater. During the occupation of a facility at Nieuw Dennendal for mentally disabled people by health care workers supporting radical changes in treatment, Van der Lek was arrested during a police action.
He would serve until 1971, when he left office as a result of the PSP's electoral loss in the 1971 Dutch general election and became head of the PSP's scientific institute. In 1972, he succeeded Hans Wiebenga as the PSP's parliamentary leader due to Van der Lek's more youthful appearance, and was again elected to the House of Representatives. As the PSP's leader, he became known as a prominent voice on environmental issues. He also advocated for various other radical political positions, including abolition of the monarchy, demilitarisation, the Dutch police's riot squad, and legalising pedophilia. In 1975, Van der Lek appeared on the television programme Hier en Nu to advocate for legalising child pornography, and stated that he had "no problem" with "children and adults consensually having sex".
Van der Lek was accused of being a spy for the Soviet Union in 1976, after Elsevier magazine had published a story saying that the CIA had implicated an unnamed left-wing MP in a spy ring, named by several regional newspapers as Van der Lek. He successfully sued the newspapers for libel, but after the newspapers appealed he dropped the case due to lack of time and funds.
In the 1977 Dutch general election, the PSP suffered a drastic electoral defeat, being reduced to a single seat in the House of Representatives. The next year, Van der Lek left office and was replaced as party leader by Fred van der Spek. He became party chairman, and was elected to the Senate in 1983, but resigned the next year to become a member of the European Parliament, where he would serve until 1989.
After his retirement, he would remain active in environmental activism, serving as chairman of Milieudefensie, an environmental organisation which he had helped found, from 1993 to 1995. Van der Lek died in Dieren on 29 November 2013.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bram_van_der_Lek
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Bram van der Lek's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the date of birth of Bram van der Lek?
- A.20 May 1931correct
- B.29 November 2013
- C.12 June 1928
- D.15 August 1935
Bram van der Lek was born on 20 May 1931.
Source: biographical introduction
2.What date did Bram van der Lek pass away?
- A.5 December 1995
- B.29 November 2013correct
- C.10 January 1989
- D.20 May 1931
Bram van der Lek died on 29 November 2013.
Source: biographical introduction
3.Which political party did Bram van der Lek represent during his career?
- A.Labour Party
- B.Christian Democratic Appeal
- C.Pacifist Socialist Partycorrect
- D.GreenLeft
Bram van der Lek represented the Pacifist Socialist Party throughout his political career.
Source: biographical introduction
4.What was one of the professional fields Bram van der Lek worked in besides politics?
- A.Journalist
- B.Architect
- C.Lawyer
- D.Biologistcorrect
Bram van der Lek was a Dutch politician, biologist, and author.
Source: biographical introduction
5.During which years did Bram van der Lek serve his first term in the House of Representatives?
- A.1967 until 1971correct
- B.1972 until 1978
- C.1984 until 1989
- D.1983 until 1984
Bram van der Lek was a member of the House of Representatives from 1967 until 1971.
Source: career section
6.What title did Bram van der Lek hold while in the House of Representatives from 1972 until 1978?
- A.Speaker of the House
- B.Party Chairman
- C.Minister of Environment
- D.Parliamentary leadercorrect
Bram van der Lek served as the PSP's parliamentary leader from 1972 until 1978.
Source: career section
7.In which body did Bram van der Lek serve from 1983 until 1984?
- A.House of Representatives
- B.City Council
- C.European Parliament
- D.Senatecorrect
Bram van der Lek was a member of the Senate from 1983 until 1984.
Source: career section
8.When did Bram van der Lek serve in the European Parliament?
- A.1984 until 1989correct
- B.1972 until 1978
- C.1983 until 1984
- D.1967 until 1971
Bram van der Lek was a member of the European Parliament from 1984 until 1989.
Source: career section
9.What book did Bram van der Lek author in 1972?
- A.Het Milieuboekjecorrect
- B.De Politieke Wereld
- C.Biologie van de Mens
- D.Pacifisme in Nederland
In 1972, Bram van der Lek wrote a book titled Het Milieuboekje.
Source: works section
10.What was the subject of the book written by Bram van der Lek in 1972?
- A.Environmental issuescorrect
- B.History of biology
- C.Political philosophy
- D.Socialist theory
Bram van der Lek wrote Het Milieuboekje, which focused on environmental issues of the time.
Source: works section
11.Between which years was Bram van der Lek NOT in the House of Representatives during his political career?
- A.1960 to 1965
- B.1967 to 1971
- C.1971 to 1972correct
- D.1972 to 1978
Bram van der Lek served from 1967 to 1971 and 1972 to 1978, leaving the gap in 1971-1972.
Source: career section
12.What was the nationality of Bram van der Lek?
- A.Dutchcorrect
- B.Belgian
- C.French
- D.German
Bram van der Lek was a Dutch politician, biologist and author.
Source: biographical introduction
13.What is the English translation of the book Bram van der Lek wrote in 1972?
- A.The Green Future
- B.Politics and Nature
- C.The Environment Bookletcorrect
- D.The Socialist Manifesto
Bram van der Lek wrote Het Milieuboekje, which translates to The Environment Booklet.
Source: works section
14.Which of the following roles did Bram van der Lek hold last in his political career?
- A.Member of the Senate
- B.Member of the House of Representatives
- C.Member of the European Parliamentcorrect
- D.Parliamentary leader
Bram van der Lek concluded his mentioned political timeline in the European Parliament between 1984 and 1989.
Source: career section
15.What was Bram van der Lek's profession outside of politics and writing?
- A.Historian
- B.Biologistcorrect
- C.Economist
- D.Engineer
Bram van der Lek was known as a politician, biologist, and author.
Source: biographical introduction
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