Max van der Stoel Park Named in Voorschoten
His efforts on behalf of human rights are celebrated both at home and abroad. Born in Voorschoten in 1924, Max van der Stoel was a politician, diplomat, and distinguished professor, and the namesake of the Max van der Stoel Prize. Now, a park has been named after this prominent resident of Voorschoten.
Since December 2023, the municipality of Voorschoten has had a new street-naming policy. Residents can submit requests for street names, provided that these names contribute to the village’s identity and history. As early as September 2023, the municipality received a request to name a street after Max van der Stoel, who was born and raised in Voorschoten. In addition to serving as former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Max van der Stoel was a diplomat, Minister of State, Ambassador to the United Nations, and High Commissioner of the OSCE, and held a distinguished professorship at the Universities of Tilburg and Leiden for several years.
Father and Son
Mayor Stemerdink: “Since the introduction of the new street-naming policy, we have already received many proposals. Of course, we thought naming a public space after Max van der Stoel was a wonderful idea, given his many years of tireless diplomatic and political efforts in the field of international human rights. However, we did not choose to name a street after him because it would be too similar to Dr. Martinus van der Stoelstraat. Martinus is Max van der Stoel’s father. That is why we decided to name the park after him, next to the street named after his father. The signs will be installed shortly.”
An Impressive Career
Maximilianus (Max) van der Stoel (Voorschoten, August 3, 1924 – The Hague, April 23, 2011) was a Dutch politician for the Labor Party (PvdA) and a diplomat. In addition to serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was also Ambassador to the United Nations and the first High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE. In 1991, Van der Stoel was appointed Minister of State. In addition to his work as a politician and diplomat, Van der Stoel served as a distinguished professor of European and international law at Tilburg University and Leiden University from 1999 to 2003.
In addition to the countless honors he received during his lifetime and after his death, a prestigious award has also been named in his honor. The Max van der Stoel Prize is an international award established by the Dutch government upon his retirement, and it is presented annually to students who have written a dissertation or thesis in the field of human rights.