Dutch Labour politician, jurist, minister of justice and Mayor of Amsterdam.
He was the son of Joseph Samkalden (10 June 1874, 10 PM Den Haag – 12 June 1968 Velp), a merchant and Debora de Beer (17 June 1877, 4 AM Rotterdam – 1 July 1927, Apeldoorn). His brothers and sisters were: Rosina Samkalden (6 May 1901, Palembang, Sumatra – 16 December 1991, Amsterdam). Bep Samkalden (1902, Idi, Atjeh – 1906, Idi, Atjeh). Hugo Samkalden (18 February 1906, Idi, Atjeh – 15 January 1943, Mauthausen). Twin brother Jaap Samkalden (10 Augustus 1912, Rotterdam – 1989).
The twin brothers Jaap and Ivo grew up in a large house at the Mathenesserlaan (413b) in Rotterdam. Their father Joseph Samkalden had joined the trading company R.S. Stokvis en Zonen in Rotterdam and worked as the Chief Executive Officer. But their mother suffered from mental disease since the 1918 flu pandemic and was treated for severe depression in psychiatric hospitals in Oegstgeest (1918) and later in Apeldoorn, where she died on 1 July 1927.
In 1923, the year that France occupied the Ruhr area in Germany (January 1923), Joseph Samkalden lost his fortune with speculation. He also lost his job and became unemployed. The eldest children could still go to the Gymnasium and University, but Jaap and Ivo could not, because of the financial burden on the family. Ivo followed the Higher Civil School (HBS) from 1924 till 1929 and could still go to University of Leiden with a scholarship provided by Dutch-Indonesian Government on the condition, that he after graduation would stay five years in the Dutch East-Indies. He graduated on 31 January 1936 on Indonesian studies in Leiden. With the help of friends (borrowed money) he could on 11 March 1938 finish his PhD thesis: “Het college van gedelegeerden uit de Volksraad” in Leiden.
On 31 March 1938 he married in Leiden the pharmacist Olga Judith Meijers (25 Sept 1910, Leiden – 24 Augustus 2003, Amsterdam). She was the daughter of the famous jurist Eduard Maurits Meijers (10 January 1880 10 AM, Den Helder – 25 June 1954, Leiden), who was the founding father of the current Dutch civil code (Nieuw Burgerlijk Wetboek).
September 1938 he and his wife shipped to Indonesia. He became inspector in Soerabaja and Sidoardjo (July 1939). On 1 March 1940 he was promoted in Soerabaja. From April 1942 till the liberation in September 1945 Samkalden stayed in five Japanese concentration camps, separated from his wife and two children. In September 1945, the reunited family went to Surabaya. But he was taken prison by the Indonesian government. On 13 November 1945 British troops liberated him. The family went back to Holland, but during the travel his son Jaap died 6 February 1946 of measles.
In 1946 he joined the Labour party (PvdA). The years in the camps had changed his social vision, he told Vrij Nederland journalist Bibeb in 1976 (“Ik ben overtuigd links uit de kampen gekomen. Door gesprekken”). He also became an opponent of the colonial system.
The family stayed first in Leiden. On 12 September 1946 he became an advisor of the Dutch government (Commissie-Generaal voor Nederlands-Indië) under W. Schermerhorn. From October 1946 till June 1947 he stayed in Indonesia.
June 1947 he became an assistant of the Prof. in Constitutional Law Roelof Kranenburg (8 September 1880, Groningen – 27 December 1956, Den Haag) at the university of Leiden. On 1 January 1948 he became Head Law and advisor at Ministry of agriculture. On 1 February 1952 he was appointed as Professor Agricultural Law in Wageningen. From 6 May 1952 till 13 Oct 1956 he was Professor in Agricultural Law in Leiden.
On 6 July 1954 he started his first job in Politics, for the Province of Gelderland in Arnhem.
On 13 Oct 1956 he became Minister of Justice in Den Haag under Drees till 22 December 1958. From 20 March 1959 till 1 September 1960 he was a member of of Parliament in Den Haag.
On 20 October 1959 he also became (part-time) Extraordinary Professor Law of International Organisations in Leiden. From 1 September 1960 till 14 April 1965 he was Professor Law of International Organisations in Leiden. From 20 September 1960 till 14 April 1965 he was member of First Chamber of parliament in Den Haag.
From 14 April 1965 till 22 Nov 1966 he was again Minister of Justice again in Den Haag. He received criticism when the “Vier van Breda” war criminal Willy Lages was released from prison (9 June 1966) by Samkalden. Lages was supposed to have terminal cancer, but he would die five years later on 2 April 1971 in Braunlage, Ger, after medical treatment in the BRD. But on 16 June 1966 he received applause for his generous and wise treatment of the principles of Law and order dealing with the hippy generation in Amsterdam. From 31 Augustus 1966 till 5 September 1966 he was Ad interim Minister of Internal Affairs in Den Haag.
On 17 June 1967 he was appointed as Mayor of Amsterdam. He held this difficult job from 1 Augustus 1967 till 1 September 1978. He had a sick leave from October 1971 till 1 March 1972 (hernia operation in the Prinsengracht hospital). Old year 1971 he could return home.
From 1 September 1978 till 1 September 1979 he held the Cleveringa chair in Leiden. From 22 January 1985 till his death he held the Honorary function Minister of State.
He died 11 May 1995 in Amsterdam.
Personal.
On 31 March 1938 he married in Leiden Olga Judith Meijers (25 Sept 1910, Leiden – 24 Augustus 2003, Amsterdam). They got four children:
Robert Samkalden?? married met ?B P Luijmes and became a jurist. Jaap Samkalden?? (?19 April 1940, Soerabaya, Indonesia – 6 February 1946, Amsterdam) died of measles. Daan Samkalden?? (?-?). Nora Samkalden (?10 June 1949, Den Haag – ?28 June 2001, Schiedam) was a politician.

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