Jan Cornelis Terlouw (15 November 1931 – 16 May 2025) was a Dutch politician, physicist and author. A member of the

Democrats 66 Democrats 66 (; D66) is a social liberal and progressive political party in the Netherlands, which is positioned on the centre to centre-left of the political spectrum. It is a member of the Liberal International (LI) and the Alliance of Li ...

(D66) party, he served as

Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands The deputy prime minister of the Netherlands ( or ) is the official Deputy prime minister, deputy of the head of government of the Netherlands. In the absence of the prime minister of the Netherlands the deputy prime minister takes over his fun ...

from 1981 to 1982 under Prime Minister

Dries van Agt Andreas Antonius Maria "Dries" van Agt (; 2 February 1931 – 5 February 2024) was a Dutch politician, jurist and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 19 December 1977 until 4 November 1982. He was a prominent leader o ...

. Terlouw studied

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

at the

Utrecht University Utrecht University (UU; , formerly ''Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht'') is a public university, public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established , it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2023, it had an enrollment of ...

where he obtained his master's degree and then worked as a researcher at the FOM before finishing his thesis and obtaining his

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in mathematics and physics.Biography Jan Terlouw
- website Parlement.com Terlouw worked as a nuclear physics researcher at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT) from February 1960 until April 1962, and for the

Royal Institute of Technology KTH Royal Institute of Technology (), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technology and is Sweden's largest technical university. Since 2018, KTH consist ...

(KTH) from August 1965 until December 1966. After the 1971 general election Terlouw was elected to the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

on 11 May 1971 and served as a

frontbencher In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then know ...

and

spokesperson A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others. Duties and function In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...

for economic affairs and science. After

Party Leader In a governmental system, a party leader acts as the official representative of their political party, either to a legislature or to the electorate. Depending on the country, the individual colloquially referred to as the "leader" of a politica ...

and

Parliamentary leader A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislature, legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. ...

Hans van Mierlo announced he was stepping down, Terlouw was unanimously selected as his successor on 1 September 1973. For the

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

and 1981 general elections, Terlouw served as

lead candidate In politics, a lead candidate (; , ) is the candidate placed first on a party list. In parliamentary systems, it is often the party's nominee for the position of head of government, and the party chair or party leader. Usage by country Neth ...

, and following a

cabinet formation Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

with Christian democratic Leader

and

Labour Leader The ''Labour Leader'' was a British socialist newspaper published for almost one hundred years. It was later renamed ''New Leader'' and ''Socialist Leader'', before finally taking the name ''Labour Leader'' again. 19th century The origins of th ...

Joop den Uyl Johannes Marten den Uijl (9 August 1919 – 24 December 1987), better known as Joop den Uyl (), was a Dutch politician and economist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1973 to 1977. He was a member of the Labour Party (PvdA ...

formed the second Van Agt cabinet, with Terlouw appointed

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...

and Minister of Economic Affairs, taking office on 11 September 1981. The cabinet fell just seven months into its term and was replaced by the caretaker third Van Agt cabinet, with Terlouw continuing his offices. For the 1982 general election, Terlouw again served as lead candidate but shortly thereafter announced he was stepping down as Leader on 8 September 1982. Terlouw continued to be active in politics and in December 1982 he was nominated as the next Secretary-General of the

European Conference of Ministers of Transport The International Transport Forum (ITF) is an inter-governmental organisation within the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) system. It is the only global body with a mandate for all modes of transport. It acts as a ...

(ECMT - evolved in 2006 into the

International Transport Forum The International Transport Forum (ITF) is an inter-governmental organisation within the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) system. It is the only global body with a mandate for all modes of transport. It acts as a ...

, ITF) serving from 30 January 1983 until 15 October 1991. In October 1991 Terlouw was nominated as the next

Queen's Commissioner A King's commissioner (, ''CvdK'') is the head of government and legislature in a province of the Netherlands. When the reigning monarch is a woman, the title is Queen's commissioner (''Commissaris van de Koningin''). A commissioner is appointed ...

Gelderland Gelderland ( , ), also known as Guelders ( ) in English, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands, located in the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Nethe ...

serving from 1 November 1991 until 1 December 1996. Terlouw also became active in the

public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, pu ...

, and worked as a professor of

Urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

at the

University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, ) is a public university, public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1632 by municipal authorities, it is the fourth-oldest academic institution in the Netherlan ...

from January 1997 until January 2000. After the Senate election of 1999 Terlouw was elected as a Member of the Senate serving from 8 June 1999 until 10 June 2003 and served as a frontbencher and spokesperson for the interior, economic affairs and defence. Terlouw retired from active politics at 71 but continued to be active in the public sector as a non-profit director and served on several state commissions ( nl) and councils on behalf of the government, and worked as a professor of

Literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

at the

Tilburg University Tilburg University is a Catholic research university specializing in the social and behavioral sciences, economics, law, business sciences, theology and humanities, located in Tilburg, Netherlands. Tilburg has a student population of about 19,1 ...

from September 2003 until September 2004. Following his retirement Terlouw continued to be active as an advocate and activist for social norms,

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...

and for more

European integration European integration is the process of political, legal, social, regional and economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe, or nearby. European integration has primarily but not exclusively come about through the European Union ...

. Terlouw was known for his abilities as a consensus builder and negotiator and continued to comment on political affairs in his final years. Terlouw was active as a prolific author since the 1970s, having written more than dozen

young adult fiction Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

books: his 1972 novel '' Winter in Wartime'' was adapted and released as a

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

in 2008.

Background

Early life and education

Terlouw was born in Kamperveen,

Overijssel Overijssel (; ; ; ) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name comes from the perspective of the Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht, Episcopal principality of Utrecht ...

and grew up in the

Veluwe The Veluwe () is a forest-rich ridge of hills (1100 km2; 420 sq. mi.) in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes, including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand ...

. He was the eldest son a family of five, having two younger brothers and two sisters. After high school, Terlouw studied at

, where he obtained an MSc degree in

in 1956, and subsequently a

degree in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and

in 1964.

Career

After graduating from Utrecht University, he worked as a physics researcher in the Netherlands, the United States, and Sweden. After working for thirteen years, he became a politician, joining the Dutch

(the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the Dutch legislature) as a member of the Democraten 66 political party in 1970.

Personal life and death

Terlouw was married to Alexandra van Hulst until her death on 23 August 2017. Terlouw was a father of four and grandfather of twelve. Terlouw died in Twello on 16 May 2025, at the age of 93.

Publications

Terlouw wrote 24 children's books, most notably '' Winter in Wartime'' (''Oorlogswinter'', 1972) and ''How to Become King'' (''Koning van Katoren'', 1971), both of which won the

Gouden Griffel The Gouden Griffel (Golden Stylus) is an award given to authors of children's or teenagers' literature in the Netherlands. History Since 1971, it is awarded each year during the Dutch Children's Books Week, by the Stichting Collectieve Prop ...

and have been made into motion pictures directed by

Martin Koolhoven Martinus Wouter "Martin" Koolhoven (born 25 April 1969) is a Dutch film director and screenwriter. Internationally he is most known for ''Schnitzel Paradise'' (2005), ''Winter in Wartime (film), Winter in Wartime'' (2008) and ''Brimstone (2016 fi ...

. Terlouw's books have been illustrated by various illustrators, including Dick van der Maat,

Martijn van der Linden Martijn van der Linden (born 1979) is a Dutch illustrator. Career Van der Linden illustrated the book ''Stem op de okapi'' written by Edward van de Vendel and they both won the Woutertje Pieterse Prijs in 2016 for this work. For this book he ...

and

Fiel van der Veen Fiel van der Veen (born 18 February 1945, Nijmegen) is a Dutch illustrator. Career Van der Veen has illustrated books by various Dutch authors, including Paul Biegel, Jan Terlouw and Willem Wilmink. In 1974, Van der Veen illustrated the boo ...

Electoral history

Honours and awards

Honours

Order of Orange-Nassau ribbon - Commander

Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau (

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, 9 December 1982)

Honorary degrees

Doctor honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

from the

Vrije Universiteit Brussel The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Dutch language, Dutch, ; lit. Free University of Brussels; abbreviated VUB) is a Dutch- and English-speaking research university in Brussels, Belgium. It has four campuses: Brussels Humanities, Science and Engine ...

(Belgium, 23 mei 2017)

Awards

*1972

for the novel ''Koning van Katoren'' (''How to Become King'') *1973

for the novel '' Winter in Wartime'' *1990 Prize of the Netherlands Children's Jury for the novel ''The Figure-skater'' *2000 Prize of the Dutch Joung Jury for ''Eigen rechter'' (1988)

Notes

References

External links

* ;Official *
Dr. J.C. (Jan) Terlouw
Parlement & Politiek *
Dr. J.C. Terlouw (D66)
Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal {{DEFAULTSORT:Terlouw, Jan 1931 births 2025 deaths Commanders of the Order of Orange-Nassau Democrats 66 politicians Deputy prime ministers of the Netherlands Dutch agnostics Dutch astrophysicists Dutch children's writers Dutch expatriates in France Dutch expatriates in Sweden Dutch expatriates in the United States Dutch male screenwriters Dutch nonprofit directors Dutch nonprofit executives Dutch nuclear physicists Dutch political commentators Dutch writers of young adult literature Gouden Griffel winners King's and Queen's Commissioners of Gelderland Leaders of the Democrats 66 Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands) Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Members of the Senate (Netherlands) Ministers of economic affairs of the Netherlands Municipal councillors of Utrecht (city) OECD officials Particle physicists People from Kampen, Overijssel People from Voorst Radiation health effects researchers Academic staff of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology Royal Netherlands Army personnel Academic staff of Tilburg University Academic staff of the University of Amsterdam Utrecht University alumni Academic staff of Utrecht University 20th-century Dutch educators 20th-century Dutch male writers 20th-century Dutch mathematicians 20th-century Dutch military personnel 20th-century Dutch politicians 20th-century Dutch scientists 21st-century Dutch educators 21st-century Dutch male writers 21st-century Dutch mathematicians 21st-century Dutch politicians 21st-century Dutch scientists