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Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis, atheist, anarchist, anti-monarchist, anti-colonial, pacifist, feminist, anti-homophobe: a man whose ideas and angelic features transcend the boundaries of time and space.
I first read about this exceptionally hot and wonderful man during history class in high school, years ago. His eyes were piercing blue, even in black and white they just penetrate right into your soul…
Ferdinand was not only a bear of a man but also very intelligent and compassionate. He worked as a pastor but as two of his wives died (both named Johanna, just like his later two wives), he started to question the existenc
Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis, atheist, anarchist, anti-monarchist, anti-colonial, pacifist, feminist, anti-homophobe: a man whose ideas and angelic features transcend the boundaries of time and space.
I first read about this exceptionally hot and wonderful man during history class in high school, years ago. His eyes were piercing blue, even in black and white they just penetrate right into your soul…
Ferdinand was not only a bear of a man but also very intelligent and compassionate. He worked as a pastor but as two of his wives died (both named Johanna, just like his later two wives), he started to question the existence of God. Reading Proudhon, Marx and Engels, Ferdinand became a dedicated socialist. He started preaching socialism and against what he called the four K’s; Kerk, Koning, Kapitaal, Kazerne en Kroeg (Church, King, Capital, army and Pub). Together with other socialists, he started the first socialist political party in the Netherlands. His speeches were renown amongst the northern proletariat and he became known as their Jesus. He did not turn water into wine but he definitely turns my fluids.
Gathering more support, he eventually was elected into the Parliament. But after a while, he became disillusioned by the slow bureaucratic process. The socialists were with too few to implement the reforms Domela Nieuwenhuis desired. Inner party conflicts about the direction of the party did not help… Ferdinand started leaning towards Marxist revolution supported through (un)lawful methods. This of course did not resound well with the cowards in parliament ;). Domela quit politics altogether and became an anarchist. He passed the last 20 years of his life writing books and passed away in 1919. He was one of the first people in the Netherlands to be cremated and his funeral attracted 12.000 people.
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