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Archief Theo van Driesten

1931-1940 Reference: ARCH00368

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The Netherlands
Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis

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Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis
( Cruquiusweg 31 , 1019 AT Amsterdam , Nederland )
Finding aid is in Dutch
Overzicht collectie

Scope and content

Inhoud

Stukken betreffende de RJB 1932-1935, het RSJV 1935 en de LJG 1935-1939, de Internationale Jeugdorganisatie in Laren 1934, het Internationaal Bureau van Revolutionaire Jeugdorganisaties 1935, pogingen tot vorming van een jeugdinternationale op basis van de `Open Brief' voor de Vierde Internationale 1935-1937, het ISF sectie Holland en initiatieven tot vorming van een internationale solidariteitsorganisatie (1935-) 1937-1940; enige documentatie en enkele andere stukken.

Record creators history

Biografie

Hendrik Theodoor (Theo) van Driesten; geboren in Amsterdam 24 oktober 1911, overleden in Neuengamme nabij Hamburg 5 september 1942; lid van de Revolutionaire Jeugdbond (RJB) in 1928, vanaf 1930 secretaris en vanaf 1932 voorzitter; in dienst bij het Nationaal Arbeids Secretariaat (NAS) als propagandist c. 1932-1937; daarnaast actief lid van de Revolutionair-Socialistische Partij (RSP) en de Revolutionair-Socialistische Arbeiders Partij (RSAP) waarvan hij van 1937-1939 administratief secretaris was; voorzitter van het Revolutionair-Socialistisch Jeugd Verbond (RSJV) 1935 en de Leninistische Jeugd Garde 1935-1937; van 1937-1939 was hij betaald secretaris van het Internationaal Solidariteits Fonds (ISF); lid van de Centrale Leiding van het Marx-Lenin-Luxemburg Front (MLL-Front) de illegale organisatie waarin de RSAP zich omvormde na de capitulatie; in januari 1941 trad hij uit en verbrak het contact; in 1942 werd hij opgepakt, in Kamp Amersfoort gevangen gezet en vervolgens overgeplaatst naar het concentratiekamp Neuengamme.

Aanvullende informatie, in 2016 ontvangen van de familie Van Driesten: Hendrik Theodoor (Theo) van Driesten was de zoon van Willem Theodoor van Driesten en Maria Roeloffina Francina Boomgaard. Hij had een broer en een zus (bronnen: www.humanitarisme.nl/personen/index en Ilse Schuurman-Brandsen, nichtje van Theo, dochter van de zus van Jo). Theo trouwde op 14 juni 1934 met Johanna Maria (Jo) van den Hoed (geboren 29 maart 1907, overleden 26 juli 1989). Dit huwelijk bleef kinderloos. In 1942 werd Theo opgepakt en in Kamp Amersfoort gevangen gezet. Hij werd daarna overgeplaatst naar het concentratiekamp Neuengamme nabij Hamburg (kampnummer 08205), waar hij op 5 september 1942 op dertigjarige leeftijd overleed. Theo van Driesten is begraven op het Nederlands Ereveld te Hamburg-Ohlsdorf (vak/rij/nummer: BP 73 P 22 R).

Processing information

Bewerking

Inventaris gemaakt door Atie van der Horst in 2002

Conditions governing access

Raadpleging

Vrij

Preferred citation

Aanbevolen citeerwijze

Archief Theo van Driesten, inventory number ..., International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam

Extent

0.62 m. meter

Other descriptive information

INLEIDING

Biografische schets

Theo van Driesten werd geboren in Amsterdam in 1911. Over zijn privé-leven is nauwelijks iets bekend, alleen dat hij in ondertrouw ging, met het voornemen op 14 juni 1934 te trouwen met Jo van den Hoed ( NAS archief, inv.nr. 53).

Zijn archief vormt uitsluitend de neerslag van zijn werkzaamheden in de revolutionair-socialistische beweging. Het ging hierbij om een bezoldigde functie als propagandist van het NAS, waarvan de aanvangsdatum onbekend is, maar waarschijnlijk vanaf 1932 met onderbrekingen tot 11 januari 1937. Daarna was hij in dienst van het Internationaal Solidariteits Fonds (ISF) 1937-1939 (NAS archief inv.nrs. 53, 56-57; NAS jaarverslag 1931-1933).

Theo van Driesten kwam in de beweging terecht via de Revolutionaire Jeugd Bond (RJB) , opgericht vanuit het NAS in 1927. In 1928 was hij lid van de Commissie voor Kinderwerk en Jeugdbeweging en woonde in Hilversum (NAS archief, inv.nr. 288). Vanaf 1 november 1930 was hij eerste secretaris en vanaf 20 maart 1932 eerste voorzitter van de RJB. Op 23 oktober 1933 bedankte hij als voorzitter wegens vele werkzaamheden voor het NAS. Hij bleef wel redacteur van het orgaan De Vonk wat hij sinds 20 september 1931 deed (NAS archief inv.nr. 292). Het NAS bleef echter druk op de RJB uitoefenen om hem als voorzitter te handhaven, alhoewel hij in 1934 in Rotterdam woonde hoogstwaarschijnlijk vanwege werkzaamheden voor het PAS in Rotterdam (NAS archief inv.nr. 288).

Hij was ook lid van de Revolutionair Socialistische Partij . Namens de Afdeling Amsterdam was hij op 11 september 1932 aanwezig op de landelijke conferentie van de RSP. Op het derde congres van de RSP van 31 maart-2 april 1934 was Theo van Driesten afgevaardigde van de Afdeling Rotterdam, waar hij lid was van het algemeen bestuur en vanaf juli 1934 tweede penningmeester (Archief RSP/RSAP inv.nr. 16, 19, 33).

Na de fusie van RJB en het Socialistisch Jeugd Verbond (SJV) tot Revolutionair-Socialistisch Jeugd Verbond (RSJV) in februari 1935 werd Theo van Driesten weer voorzitter en redacteur. Het RSJV stond in tegenstelling tot de RJB los van het NAS. De fusie kreeg zijn beslag op het congres van 24 maart 1935 (NAS archief, inv.nr. 299). Het RSJV viel al snel weer uit elkaar. De scheuring werd veroorzaakt door een conflict over de 'Open Brief voor de Vierde Internationale ', die door Theo van Driesten werd gesteund. Op het congres van 12-13 oktober 1935 had deze lijn een minderheid en de aanhangers richtten vervolgens de Leninistische Jeugd Garde (LJG) op. De RSJV verdween in 1936 van het toneel. Van Driesten werd voorzitter van het LJG en voerde samen met Nico Engelsman de redactie van het orgaan De Rood Gardist . Het LJG had nauwe banden met de Revolutionair Socialistische Arbeiders Partij (RSAP). Na de RSAP-conferentie van juni 1937 werd Van Driesten opgevolgd door Joop Flameling .

Internationale organisatie was binnen de Revolutionair Socialistische Partij (RSP) en de RSAP onder leiding van Henk Sneevliet zeer belangrijk. Dit gold ook voor de jeugdorganisaties. De RJB was betrokken bij de organisatie van de Internationale Jeugdconferentie in Laren 24-26 februari 1934, die na politie-ingrijpen werd voortgezet in België. Hier werd het Internationaal Bureau van Revolutionaire Jeugdorganisaties (Stockholms Bureau) opgericht. Secretaris Willy Brandt vertegenwoordigde hierin de gematigde richting ( Tweede Internationale, Londens Bureau ), Walter Held de revolutionaire (Trotskistisch, de Internationale Kommunistische Liga (IKL ), ontstaan op het Parijse congres van 1933. De IKL-organisaties werden midden 1935 uitgesloten van het Stockholms Bureau en het LJG onder leiding van Van Driesten ontplooide initiatieven tot vorming van een jeugdinternationale op basis van de 'Open Brief' tussen 1935 en 1937. Hierbij werkte hij nauw samen met Henk Sneevliet die de internationale organisatie van de RSAP voor zijn rekening nam.

Zowel Theo van Driesten als Dirk Schilp , ook propagandist van het NAS, verbleven na 1935 een tijdlang in Tilburg, waar in 1935 een spontane staking uitbrak bij 26 fabrieken van wollen stoffen, die een maand duurde (NAS jaarverslag 1 januari 1934-1 juli 1937). Daarna werkte hij er als propagandist (RSP/RSAP archief inv.nr. 35). Hij werd in de jaren dertig enkele malen opgepakt in verband met propaganda-activiteiten. Begin 1937 verhuisde Theo van Driesten weer naar Amsterdam (NAS archief inv.nr. 53).

Het NAS kon hem daarna niet langer in dienst houden, maar Van Driesten was betrokken bij de fusie van het Proletarisch Steun Fonds en het Comité Rood Spanje tot het ISF , alle hulporganisaties van het NAS. Het besluit hiertoe werd op 7 oktober 1937 genomen en de fusie was op 10 november een feit. Van Driesten werd secretaris van het ISF, betaald uit de opbrengsten van het Fonds (NAS jaarverslag 1 juli 1937-31 december 1939). Het ISF hield zich vooral bezig met propaganda voor, en steunverlening aan Spaanse republikeinen (ook kinderen) en de Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista (POUM) en in 1939 met vluchtelingen.

Van Driesten vervulde ook functies in de RSAP die in 1935 was ontstaan na fusie van de RSP met de Onafhankelijk Socialistische Partij . In 1935 was hij korte tijd in dienst van de RSAP. Begin oktober 1935 bezocht hij Madrid blijkens een brief aan De Nieuwe Fakkel over de toezending van propaganda-materiaal. Hij gebruikte het pseudoniem P.J. van Dam (RSP/RSAP archief inv.nr. 160). In 1936 werd hij lid van het partijbestuur en had hij zitting in de Commissie voor het vakbondswerk en de Propaganda-commissie. Van 1937-1939 was Van Driesten administratief secretaris van de RSAP en daarmee naaste medewerker van Henk Sneevliet. Hij hield zich vooral bezig met propaganda (RSP/RSAP archief inv.nr. 172-176; Max Perthus , Sneevliet p. 491). In De Rode October , theoretisch orgaan van de RSAP publiceerde hij onder het pseudoniem H. van Amstel.

Direct na de capitulatie staakte de RSAP haar legale activiteiten en vormde zich om tot een illegale organisatie, het Marx-Lenin-Luxemburg-Front . Van Driesten maakte deel uit van de Centrale Leiding. Hij zat enige maanden ondergedoken. Een drietal brieven aan Ab Menist van 5, 6 en 7 november 1940 onthullen echter dat hij zich zeer ongemakkelijk was gaan voelen binnen de beweging. Hij deed het werk uitsluitend nog uit plichtsbesef en voelde zich overspannen. Er zaten hem allerlei dingen dwars al ver vóór 10 mei en hij dacht er al maanden over wat te doen. Kennelijk viel het hem zwaar een besluit te nemen. Het ging hierbij niet om de politieke kant van de beweging, maar om de persoonlijke, de intriges en vuilgooierij. Hij vond dat mensen binnen de partij niet als mens werden gezien maar als instrument. Vooral de manier waarop Sneevliet mensen gebruikte stond hem steeds meer tegen. Van Driesten schreef Menist dat hij zich uit de beweging wilde terugtrekken, in ieder geval uit de Centrale Leiding, maar ook uit het dagelijks werk. Op dit laatste kwam hij in zijn brief van de 7de enigszins terug terwille van Menist die geschokt was door dit besluit dat voor hem volkomen onverwacht kwam. Van Driesten schreef ook dat hij de eigenlijke reden voor zijn terugtrekken niet naar buiten wilde brengen (archief H. Sneevliet, inv. nr. 779). In een brief van 6 januari 1941 bedankte hij uiteindelijk voor deelname aan de RSAP en verzocht geen contact meer te hebben. Als argument voerde hij aan de partij te zijn ontgroeid en serieus bezig te zijn om een bestaansmogelijkheid op te bouwen (als handelsreiziger). Zijn uittreden werd hem zeer kwalijk genomen. De brief werd gepubliceerd in Richtlijnen voor de M.-Groep nr. 4 niet onder zijn pseudoniem A. Oosterbaan maar onder zijn eigen naam. In het commentaar op de brief, werd hij bestempeld als deserteur en er werd gezinspeeld op 'allerlei fortuinzoekers [die] op voordeel en gunst jagen van de nieuwe machthebbers'. De leden werd aangeraden de persoon van Van Driesten volkomen te negeren ( Wim Bot , Tegen fascisme, kapitalisme en oorlog (Amsterdam 1983) p. 16-17).

Het terugtrekken uit de illegale organisatie heeft Theo van Driesten niet gevrijwaard van vervolging. Bij een inval bij een drukker die vroeger voor de RSAP had inegewerkt en ervan verdacht werd te werken voor het MLL-front, werd hij opgepakt. Hij was hier toevallig aanwezig in verband met zijn zaken. Evenals de leden van de Sneevliet-groep die in 1942 werden gefusilleerd, kwam hij terecht in kamp Amersfoort. (Max Perthus, Sneevliet, p. 492). Hij werd doorgestuurd naar Neuengamme waar hij in de laatste periode van de oorlog overleed (Mededeling van Elizabeth (Bep) Fisher-Spanjer aan Dick de Winter in 2002).

Het archief

In 1938 ontving het IISG de stukken betreffende de RJB, RSJV en internationale jeugdorganisatie, evenals strooibiljetten en nummers van het orgaan van het Internationaal Solidariteits Fonds (jaarverslag IISG 1938, p. 23 en kwartaalverslag tweede kwartaal 1938). Wanneer de overige stukken zijn ontvangen is niet meer te achterhalen.

Het archief bevat stukken betreffende de RJB 1932-1935, RSJV 1935, LJG 1935-1939 en de internationale jeugdorganisatie 1934-1937, waaronder de stukken van de Internationale Jeugdconferentie te Laren van 1934. Daarnaast zijn er de stukken van het Internationaal Solidariteits Fonds 1937-1939. Enkele stukken betreffende de LJG zijn afkomstig van Bep Spanjer (inv.nr. 14, 20, 30, 32) die onder andere internationaal secretaresse van de LJG was vanaf 21 oktober 1935 (RSP/RSAP archief inv.nr. 160). Ook zij was enige tijd in dienst van het NAS (NAS archief, inv.nr. 53).

De omvang van het archief is 0,62 m.

Andere bronnen

In het archief van de RSP/RSAP zijn stukken opgenomen uit de periode dat Theo van Driesten secretariaatsmedewerker van de RSAP was van 1937-1939 (inv.nrs. 172-176).

In het archief van Jacq Engels zijn stukken betreffende de RJB aanwezig van 1926-1930. Het archief van J. Flameling bevat stukken betreffende de LJG 1936-1939.

Raadpleging

De raadpleging van het archief is vrij.

Keywords

Onderwerpen

Subjects:
Radical movements and parties
International organizations
Geographic names:
Netherlands
Personal names: Driesten, Theo van
Corporate names: Revolutionaire Jeugdbond Leninistische Jeugd Garde
Genre of the material:

Archival material
Personal names: Theo van Driesten Jo van den Hoed
Corporate names: NAS
Corporate names: Internationaal Solidariteits Fonds (ISF)
Corporate names: Revolutionaire Jeugd Bond (RJB) Commissie voor Kinderwerk en Jeugdbeweging PAS
Titles of related works:
De Vonk
Corporate names: Revolutionair Socialistische Partij
Personal names: Nico Engelsman Joop Flameling
Corporate names: Socialistisch Jeugd Verbond (SJV) Revolutionair-Socialistisch Jeugd Verbond (RSJV) Vierde Internationale Leninistische Jeugd Garde (LJG)
Titles of related works:
De Rood Gardist
Personal names: Henk Sneevliet Willy Brandt Walter Henk Sneevliet
Corporate names: Revolutionair Socialistische Partij (RSP) Internationaal Bureau van Revolutionaire Jeugdorganisaties (Stockholms Bureau) Tweede Internationale, Londens Bureau Internationale Kommunistische Liga (IKL
Personal names: Dirk Schilp
Corporate names: Proletarisch Steun Fonds Comité Rood Spanje ISF Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista (POUM)
Personal names: P.J. van Dam Max Perthus
Corporate names: RSAP Onafhankelijk Socialistische Partij
Titles of related works:
De Nieuwe Fakkel
De Rode October
Personal names: Ab Menist Sneevliet Menist A. Oosterbaan Wim Bot
Corporate names: Marx-Lenin-Luxemburg-Front RSAP
Titles of related works:
Richtlijnen voor de M.-Groep
Tegen fascisme, kapitalisme en oorlog
Personal names: Elizabeth (Bep) Fisher-Spanjer
Corporate names: Sneevliet-groep
Corporate names: IISG Internationaal Solidariteits Fonds IISG
Personal names: Bep Spanjer
Personal names: Jacq Engels J. Flameling

Language of the material

Dutch

Record creator


Creator:

Driesten, Theo van


Other Creator:

Internationaal Solidariteits Fonds ; Revolutionaire Jeugdbond ; Revolutionair-Socialistisch Jeugd Verbond ; Leninistische Jeugd Garde

Content provider

Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis

( Cruquiusweg 31 , 1019 AT Amsterdam , Nederland )

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This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, ShareAlike (BY-SA) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak and build upon the licensed object, even for commercial purposes, as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence, and you license your adaptations of the object under the same terms.

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This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial, ShareAlike (BY-NC-SA) licence. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the licensed object for non-commercial use only, as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence, and as long as you license your adaptations of the object under the same terms.

This object is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons - Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivates (BY-NC-ND) licence. You can copy and redistribute the object for non-commercial use only, as long as no alteration is made to the object and as long as you attribute the rights holder as described in the licence.

If you remix, transform or build upon the object, you may not distribute the modified material.

This object is in the public domain, but has been digitised as the outcome of a public-private partnership, where the terms of the contractual agreement limit commercial use for a certain period of time. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the object for non-commercial use only.

This object has been identified as an Orphan Work in the country of first publication and in line with the requirements of the national law implementing Directive 2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on certain permitted uses of orphan works.

You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy or moral rights.

This object is in the public domain, but is subject to known legal restrictions other than copyright which prevent its free re-use. Please contact the providing institution for more information.

This object is currently in copyright. Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for re-use.

The copyright status of this object has not been evaluated yet. Please contact the providing institution for more information.

You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy, or moral rights.

This object is currently in copyright and the rights holder(s) have allowed re-use for educational purposes only. You are free to use this object in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Please note that you are responsible for your own use, including the need to obtain other permissions e.g. with regard to publicity, privacy or moral rights.

Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for any other uses.

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