{{Short description|Dutch politician (1936–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Frits Niessen | image = Frits Niessen (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Niessen in 1985 | office1 = Member of the House of Representatives | term_start1 = 6 October 1977 | term_end1 = 6 January 1978 | term_start2 = 27 August 1980 | term_end2 = 17 May 1994 | birth_name = Godefridus Adrianus Quirinus Niessen | birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|09|16|df=yes}} | birth_place = Raamsdonk, Netherlands | death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|10|23|1936|09|16|df=yes}} | death_place = Raamsdonksveer, Netherlands | party = Labour Party | occupation = | website = }} '''Godefridus Adrianus Quirinus''' '''"Frits"''' '''Niessen''' (16 September 1936 – 23 October 2020) was a Dutch politician. He served in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party between 1977 and 1978 and once more from 1980 to 1994.
==Life== Niessen was born in Raamsdonk on 16 September 1936.<ref name=parlement>{{cite web|url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09lli99lzr/g_a_q_frits_niessen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617104408/https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09lli99lzr/g_a_q_frits_niessen |archive-date=17 June 2014 |title=G.A.Q. (Frits) Niessen |language=nl |publisher=Parlement.com |date=17 June 2014}}</ref> He was a primary school teacher in Raamsdonksveer from 1958 to 1963 and subsequently was a Dutch teacher at the HAVO in Dongen from 1963 to 1980.<ref name=parlement/>
Niessen became a member of the House of Representatives for the Labour Party on 6 October 1977 and served until 6 January 1978.<ref name=parlement/> He left the House after the formation of the First Van Agt cabinet, which saw Labour Party members from the Den Uyl cabinet return to seats in parliament.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?coll=ddd&identifier=KBPERS01:002934006:mpeg21:a00108 |title=Tweede Kamer wordt top-zwaar | work=Algemeen Dagblad |language=nl |date=7 January 1978 |accessdate=16 October 2020}}</ref> Niessen returned to the House on 27 August 1980 after Jan Pronk left.<ref name=parlement/><ref>{{cite web|author=Marja Klein Obbink |url=https://www.bndestem.nl/oosterhout/frits-niessen-1936-2020-erudiet-kamerlid-met-liefde-voor-de-taal~ab7ad57c/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028164723/https://www.bndestem.nl/oosterhout/frits-niessen-1936-2020-erudiet-kamerlid-met-liefde-voor-de-taal~ab7ad57c/ |title=Frits Niessen (1936-2020): erudiet Kamerlid met liefde voor de taal |language=nl |publisher=BN DeStem |date=27 October 2020 |archive-date=28 October 2020}}</ref> During his time in parliament he was the party spokesperson for interior and cultural affairs, but was also occupied with education issues.<ref name=parlement/> In 1985 he interpellated Minister Elco Brinkman about his refusal to have Hugo Brandt Corstius be given the P. C. Hooft Award.<ref name=parlement/> In 1989 he was influential in preventing the closure of the Institut Néerlandais in Paris.<ref name="tlc">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-low-countries.com/article/farewell-to-the-quintessential-editor-frits-niessen-1936-2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030191312/https://www.the-low-countries.com/article/farewell-to-the-quintessential-editor-frits-niessen-1936-2020 |title=Farewell to the Quintessential Editor: Frits Niessen (1936-2020) |publisher=The Low Countries |date=27 October 2020 |archive-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> Niessen remained a member of the House until 17 May 1994.<ref name=parlement/>
Niessen was a long-time editor of ''{{ill|Ons Erfdeel|nl}}'', he started contributing shortly after its foundation in 1957 and ultimately became deputy editor-in-chief in 1977, which he remained until 2016.<ref name="tlc"/> In the 1990s he was recipient of the {{ill|ANV-Visser Neerlandiaprijs|nl}} for individual merit for four decades of work for Dutch language and culture. Niessen was co-chair of the Commission Cultural Convention Flanders-The Netherlands (Dutch:''Commissie Cultureel Verdrag Vlaanderen-Nederland'') together with Hugo Weckx. Upon his departure from the commission in 2006 he was made a Commander in the Order of the Crown.<ref name="tlc"/> In 2009 he became an honorary citizen of Geertruidenberg.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.geertruidenberg.nl/nieuws/memoriam-frits-niessen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030190144/https://www.geertruidenberg.nl/nieuws/memoriam-frits-niessen |title=In memoriam: Frits Niessen |language=nl |publisher=Geertruidenberg.nl |date=28 October 2020 |archive-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> He died on 23 October 2020 in Raamsdonksveer.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vldad8gk26s5/nieuws/oud_pvda_tweede_kamerlid_frits_niessen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030185117/https://www.parlement.com/id/vldad8gk26s5/nieuws/oud_pvda_tweede_kamerlid_frits_niessen |title=Oud-PvdA-Tweede Kamerlid Frits Niessen overleden |language=nl |publisher=Parlement.com |date=28 October 2020 |archive-date=30 October 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Niessen, Frits}} Category:1936 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Labour Party (Netherlands) MPs Category:Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands) Category:People from Geertruidenberg Category:Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands)