21 Facts About Elizabeth Schmitz

Elizabeth Maria Alida Schmitz was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party.

Elizabeth Schmitz came from a middle-class Catholic family and her father, who sold tobacco, died early.

Elizabeth Schmitz completed her secondary education at a girls school before spending a year working as an au pair in England, while studying for a lower certificate from the University of Cambridge.

Elizabeth Schmitz then moved back to Rotterdam, where she worked for a shipping firm and then for the Stichting Samenwerkende Kerken.

From 1958 to 1974, Schmitz worked for educational organisations in Rotterdam.

Elizabeth Schmitz first became involved in politics in 1968, when she joined the Democrats 66.

From 1972 to 1974, Elizabeth Schmitz was a member of the Rotterdam City Council.

Elizabeth Schmitz served first as a member of the D66 and then, in 1974, joined the Labour Party.

Elizabeth Schmitz became an alderman for social affairs on behalf of that party, serving between 1974 and 1982.

Elizabeth Schmitz opposed cuts to social services and following fraud in the department, she appointed Ien Dales to take over as the social services director.

Elizabeth Schmitz was elected as the mayor of Haarlem between 16 February 1985 and 3 August 1994.

Elizabeth Schmitz succeeded Jos van Kemenade as vice president of Pax Christi in 1986.

Elizabeth Schmitz remained in this position until she joined the cabinet in 1994.

Elizabeth Schmitz was appointed the Secretary of State for Justice by Wim Kok on 22 August 1994, serving in the Kok I cabinet.

Elizabeth Schmitz was responsible for immigration and asylum policy, family law, youth advocacy, gambling, legal aid and nationality.

Elizabeth Schmitz made an effort to deport illegal immigrants from the Netherlands.

Elizabeth Schmitz was a deputy judge in the district court in Zwolle between 1999 and 2008 and a deputy judge in the district court in Zutphen between 2004 and 2008.

Elizabeth Schmitz was a member of the Advisory Council on International Affairs between 2001 and January 2006 and a chair of the Advisory Board Members Selection Committee Judiciary from 2005.

From 1999 to 2009, Elizabeth Schmitz chaired the curatorium of the African Studies Centre in Leiden.

Elizabeth Schmitz was Roman Catholic and in 1970, she was offered a position as assistant secretary of the diocese of Rotterdam, but she rejected the offer due to her conflict with the bishop of the diocese, Adrianus Johannes Simonis.

Elizabeth Schmitz died on 31 December 2024, at the age of 86.