Johan Rudolf Thorbecke

Johan Rudolf Thorbecke portrait by Johan Heinrich Neuman.jpg

Johan Rudolf Thorbecke (14 January 1798 - 4 June 1872) was an important Dutch politician. In 1848, he wrote a constitution almost on his own. This constitution gave the king less power and the people more, so it made the Netherlands a democracy. Thorbecke was a liberal. Several times he was prime minister, and internal affairs minister.

Thorbecke was a Lutheran and had German roots. He was born in Zwolle and died in The Hague, aged 74.

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