Marcel Van Grunsven

Marcellus Franciscus Gerardus Maria "Marcel" van Grunsven (4 December 1896 – 24 July 1969) was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Heerlen from 1926 to 1961. He led Heerlen through the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and the booming mining years. He didn’t fear personal sacrifice, like

salary A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis. ...

cuts. Imminently after his installment, he turned Heerlen politics around, also eliminating the city's debt. Grunsven Grave

Together with city planners and

architects An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, for instance

Frits Peutz F.P.J. Peutz (7 April 1896 – 24 October 1974) was a Dutch architect. Biography Peutz was born in a Catholic family in Uithuizen in Groningen, a mostly Protestant province in the north of the Netherlands. In 1910 he was sent to the Rolduc boar ...

, he bettered the infrastructure of Heerlen, trying to fix social-economical problems. He was also a lover of arts and culture stimulating it in the city. He was made an honorary citizen of Heerlen and the culture prize of Heerlen is named after him (''Van Grunsvenprijs''). 1896 births 1969 deaths Mayors of Heerlen People from Gennep {{Netherlands-mayor-stub