Vrij Nederland



Vrij Nederland (Free Netherlands) is a Dutch magazine which was established during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II as an underground newspaper but has since grown into a magazine. The weekly magazine is generally considered to be intellectually left-wing. It is conventionally considered to be one of the four most influential written media in its sector, along with HP/De Tijd, De Groene Amsterdammer and Elsevier.

The first issue was published on 31 August 1940. The chief editors have included:


 * 1940-1942: Frans Hofker
 * 1941-1950: Henk van Randwijk
 * 1950-1955: Johan Winkler
 * 1955-1969: nl
 * 1969-1991: Rinus Ferdinandusse
 * 1991-1997: Joop van Tijn
 * 1998-2000: Oscar Garschagen
 * 2001-2004: Xandra Schutte
 * 2004-2005: Gerard van Westerloo (interim)
 * 2005-2008: Emile Fallaux
 * 2008-present: Frits van Exter

The circulations have decreased from 1945 on, but had an increase in the 1970s:


 * 1945: 109.000
 * 1947: 32.000
 * 1951: 35.000
 * 1955: 19.000
 * 1960: 23.000
 * 1965: 36.950
 * 1970: 81.378
 * 1975: 109.381
 * 1978: 117.165
 * 1980: 111.857
 * 1985: 97.132
 * 1990: 76.947
 * 2000: 55.947
 * 2001: 53.669 (-4,1%)
 * 2002: 53.413 (-0,5%)
 * 2003: 52.868 (-1,0%)
 * 2004: 50.124 (-5,2%)
 * 2005: 49.244 (-1,8%)
 * 2006: 47.082 (-4,4%)
 * 2007: 46.671 (-0,9%)
 * 2008: 44.115 (-5,5%)
 * 2009: 44.860 (+1,7%)
 * 2010: 48.353 (+7,8%)
 * 2011: 45.534 (-5,8%)
 * 2012: 40.872 (-10,2%)
 * 2013: 35.649 (-12,8%)