Who Is Hendrik Verwoerd? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Born on September 8, 1901, Hendrik Verwoerd lived a significant life, playing a pivotal role in South Africa's political landscape as Prime Minister from 1958 until his assassination in 1966. In 2025, he would have turned 124 years old. His reign was marked by controversial policies that enforced racial segregation, often drawing both support and severe opposition.
| Occupation | Prime Ministers |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | September 8, 1901 |
| Age | 64 Years |
| Birth Place | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Horoscope | Virgo |
| Country | South Africa |
| Date of death | 6 September, 1966 |
| Died Place | Cape Town, Cape Province, Republic of South Africa |
Popularity
Hendrik Verwoerd's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Though specific physical measurements of Verwoerd are not as widely documented as his political career, he was often described as a robust figure. For a complete view of public figures, these metrics can seem less significant than their contributions to society.
On 6 September 1966, Verwoerd was stabbed to death in Cape Town, shortly after entering the House of Assembly at 14:15. A uniformed parliamentary messenger named Dimitri Tsafendas stabbed Verwoerd in the neck and chest four times before being subdued by other members of the Assembly.
Four members of Parliament who were also trained doctors rushed to the aid of Verwoerd and started administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Verwoerd was rushed to Groote Schuur Hospital, but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Hendrik Verwoerd was married to Johanna Maria Verwoerd, and they had a family together, including multiple children. His commitment to his family life, amid his political career, sheds light on the personal aspects of his experiences, reflected in his publications and speeches during his lifetime.
He is commonly regarded as the architect of apartheid and nicknamed the "father of apartheid".
Verwoerd played a significant role in socially engineering apartheid, the country's system of institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy, and implementing its policies, as Minister of Native Affairs (1950–1958) and then as prime minister (1958–1966).
Furthermore, Verwoerd played a vital role in helping the far-right National Party come to power in 1948, serving as their political strategist and propagandist, becoming party leader upon his premiership.
He was the Union of South Africa's last prime minister, from 1958 to 1961, when he proclaimed the founding of the Republic of South Africa, remaining its prime minister until his assassination in 1966.
Net Worth and Salary
While records from the time of Verwoerd’s leadership indicate his salary as Prime Minister was substantial, estimating his net worth today is challenging due to the political climate and the changes in valuations over time. It’s important to note that his financial status is often overshadowed by his controversial political legacy.
Career, Business, and Investments
Verwoerd was primarily an academic before entering politics, having trained as a psychologist in the Netherlands and subsequently becoming a leading figure in South African politics. As the Prime Minister, he was instrumental in promoting the apartheid system. Posthumously, discussions about his policies and their impact continue, weighing heavily on South Africa’s historical narrative.
In 1936, Verwoerd, joined by a group of Stellenbosch University professors, protested against the immigration of German Jews to South Africa, who were fleeing Nazi persecution.
His efforts in the field of national welfare drew him into politics and in 1936 he was offered the first editorship of Die Transvaler, a position which he took up in 1937, with the added responsibility of helping to rebuild the National Party in the Transvaal.
Social Network
While Hendrik Verwoerd has been a significant historical figure, his presence on social networks today is minimal, given the historical context. However, discussions around him can be found in various historical forums and educational platforms, which analyze the far-reaching effects of apartheid policies on contemporary South Africa.
Due to the work undertaken by Verwoerd in his doctoral thesis, he was awarded two scholarships for post-doctoral research abroad—one by the Abe Bailey Trust to study at the University of Oxford, England, and another one to continue his studies in Germany.
He opted for the latter, as Verwoerd wanted to continue his research under a number of renowned German psychology and philosophy professors of the time, and possibly due to his own anti-British views at the time. Verwoerd left for Germany in 1926, and proceeded to research psychology and sociology at the University of Hamburg, Berlin, and Leipzig.
In Hamburg, he studied under William Stern; in Berlin, under Wolfgang Köhler and Otto Lipmann; and in Leipzig, under Felix Krueger. Most of these professors were not allowed to teach anymore once the Nazis came to power in 1933..
Claims that Verwoerd studied eugenics during his German sojourn and later based his apartheid policy on Nazi ideology, are still being evaluated by scholars. Critics contend that eugenics was usually taught at medical faculties during this period.
Christoph Marx asserts that Verwoerd kept a conspicuous distance from eugenic theories and racist social technologies, emphasising environmental influences rather than hereditary abilities.
Education
Verwoerd received his education in South Africa and later in the Netherlands, where he earned a doctorate in sociology. His academic background provided him with a foundational understanding of societal structures, which he later applied in his political strategies and policies.
Verwoerd heavily repressed opposition to apartheid during his premiership. He ordered the detention and imprisonment of tens of thousands of people and the exile of further thousands, while at the same time greatly empowering, modernizing, and enlarging the white apartheid state's security forces (police and military).
He banned black organizations such as the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress, and it was under him that future president Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for life for sabotage. Verwoerd's South Africa had one of the highest prison populations in the world and saw a large number of executions and floggings.
By the mid-1960s Verwoerd's government to a large degree had put down internal civil resistance to apartheid by employing extraordinary legislative power, draconian laws, psychological intimidation, and the relentless efforts of the white state's security apparatus.
