Ernst Bakker
A pragmatic and dedicated D66 politician who served as the steady administrative hand for both Amsterdam and Hilversum during transformative decades.
1946–2014 (age 68)·Dutch politician·Birthday: April 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ernst Bakker's career was a study in committed, local governance. A member of the progressive Democrats 66 party, he entered national politics briefly in the early 1980s, but found his true calling in city halls. His move to the Amsterdam city council in 1990 was a homecoming of sorts, and he soon ascended to the executive board as an alderman. In that role, he grappled with the complex, daily realities of running a major European capital. In 1998, he traded the cosmopolitan bustle of Amsterdam for the media-centric town of Hilversum, becoming its mayor. For thirteen years, Bakker provided stable leadership to the heart of the Dutch broadcasting world, navigating local issues with the calm demeanor of a seasoned public servant. His tenure spanned a period of significant digital change in media, and he was seen as a reliable anchor for the community. Bakker retired in 2011, leaving behind a reputation not for grand ideological stands, but for effective, hands-on management and a deep connection to the cities he helped administer.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ernst was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ernst Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Ernst's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2014Died at 68
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Served as the Mayor of Hilversum from 1998 until his retirement in 2011.
- Acted as an alderman on the Amsterdam executive board from 1992 to 1998, overseeing key city portfolios.
- Was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the D66 party from 1981 to 1982.
- Served on the Amsterdam City Council beginning in 1990.
Did You Know?
Before his political career, he worked as a history teacher.
He was the son-in-law of former Dutch Prime Minister Joop den Uyl.
During his mayoralty, Hilversum, known as 'Media City', was the headquarters of all major Dutch broadcasters.
He passed away in 2014 after a period of illness.
“Politics is the art of making the city work for everyone, every single day.”
