Arnold Meijer

Arnoldus Jozephus Meijer (Haarlemmermeer, May 5 1905 – Oisterwijk, June 17 1965) was a Dutch fascist politician.

Brought up a devout Roman Catholic and educated in a number of seminaries he soon became influenced by Wouter Lutkie, a Catholic priest and fascist. After a brief stopover in the Roman-Catholic State Party, which he found far too moderate, Meijer began to write for the authoritarian "De Rijkseenheid" and the General Dutch Fascist League's "De Fascist". He soon joined the League and, having inherited money from his father, launched his own journal "Zwart Front". Rising to a position of influence in the League, he quarreled with leader Jan Baars and in 1934 split from the group, taking a number of followers with him. Before long he had revived the Zwart Front name for his new movement and even visited Benito Mussolini with Lutkie to gain the fascist leader's approval.

The Front failed to make much impact in elections (although Meijer managed a 21.4% vote share in Oisterwijk) and it was absorbed into the new National Front in 1940. This movement was banned in 1941 by the Nazis, although Meijer was allowed to simply retire from politics. Arrested in 1944 he escaped to Belgium but returned in 1946 to face a five year jail sentence.

He was released from prison in 1948 and returned to politics, writing for the "Aristo" journal which was sympathetic to Lutkie.

References

* Philip Rees, "Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890"