Bram Peper

Abraham "Bram" Peper (born 13 February 1940) is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA).

Bram Peper
Bram Peper in 1989
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
In office 3 August 1998 – 13 March 2000
Prime Minister	Wim Kok
Preceded by	Hans Dijkstal as Minister of the Interior Joris Voorhoeve as Minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs
Succeeded by	Roger van Boxtel (Ad interim)
Mayor of Rotterdam
In office 16 March 1982 – 3 August 1998
Preceded by	Hans Mentink (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Hans Simons (Ad interim)
Personal details
Born	Abraham Peper 13 February 1940 Haarlem, Netherlands
Political party	Labour Party (from 1966)
Spouse(s)	First wife ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1974)​ Second wife ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1990)​ Neelie Kroes ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 2003)​
Children	4 children
Residence	Rotterdam, Netherlands
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam (Bachelor of Social Science, Master of Social Science) University of Oslo (Bachelor of Economics, Master of Economics) Erasmus University Rotterdam (Doctor of Philosophy)
Occupation	Politician · Sociologist · Researcher · Academic administrator · Nonprofit director · Professor

Biography

Early life

After finishing the HBS, Peper studied social sciences at the University of Amsterdam until 1965 and economy and sociology at the University of Oslo (1963/1964) and got his PhD at the Nederlandse Economische Hogeschool (Currently Erasmus University Rotterdam) in 1972. Peper became researcher, and fulfilled several academic functions, including professor at the Erasmus University until he became Mayor of Rotterdam in 1982 at the age of 42. Rotterdam is the second largest city of the Netherlands, and Peper was one of the youngest mayors of a large city at the time.

Politics

In 1984 an interview with Peper and his wife with Ischa Meijer was published in Vrij Nederland, a Dutch magazine, in which Peper was critical towards citizens and rulers. The interview was perceived as arrogant, and seemed to be made while Peper was in a drunk condition. Peper made his apologies, and soon after he and his wife divorced.

While Peper was mayor, the city completed its process of rebuilding after World War II, which resulted in a new skyline for Rotterdam. In the second half of his mayorship, Peper had a tough time with for instance his defeat on the formation of a city province (90% of the voters in a referendum were against). Peper was mayor until 1998, when he joined the government as Minister of the Interior of the Netherlands in the second Kok cabinet.

Starting 1999, rumours were spreading that Peper had made incorrect declarations while he was mayor of Rotterdam. On 13 March 2000 Peper resigned as minister, according to himself to no longer bring problems to the public government, and to be better able to defend himself.[1] Although a report on 17 March suggested that Peper did not act properly regarding the declarations, Peper won the legal procedures finally two years later.

From 2002 until 2004 Peper was professor at the Nyenrode Business University, a private university, from which he resigned due to a disagreement regarding a study trip to the European Union in Brussels.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	30 April 2003

References

1. Interview in Vrij Nederland, 12 July 2003 (Dutch)

External links

• Media related to Bram Peper at Wikimedia Commons

Official

• (in Dutch) Dr. A. (Bram) Peper Parlement & Politiek