Henk Hofland

Hendrik Johannes Adrianus "Henk" Hofland (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɛndrɪk joːˈɦɑnəs aːdriˈjaːnʏs ɦɛŋk ˈɦɔflɑnt]; 20 July 1927 – 21 June 2016), also commonly known as H.J.A. Hofland, was a Dutch journalist, commentator, essayist, and columnist. He is often referred to as the éminence grise of Dutch journalism. In 1999 he was named Dutch "Journalist of the century" in a nationwide poll among his peers. He once described himself as belonging to the "anarcho-liberal community", though his political orientation is that of the secular center of society.

Early life and career

Hofland was born in Rotterdam. As a twelve-year-old boy he witnessed the bombing of the city on 14 May 1940, during the German invasion of the Netherlands, in which the centre of Rotterdam was almost completely destroyed, killing 900 civilians and leaving 80,000 homeless. It was an episode that marked his life: "On 15 May I woke up in a completely different world. It is an experience that stays with you your entire life. The bosses were not bosses anymore, the city was on fire, and the villains had the upper hand."

In 1946 he started to study at Nyenrode Business University, where he met Willem Oltmans. He never finished his studies. In 1950 he moved to Amsterdam, and in 1953 started his journalistic career at the Algemeen Handelsblad's foreign desk. At the Handelsblad, Anton Constandse instructed Hofland to the practice of journalism; he worked with Hans van Mierlo and Jan Blokker, who became lifelong friends, just like author Harry Mulisch.