In Memoriam professor emeritus Victor Halberstadt (1939–2024)
It is with great sadness that we have learned that Professor Victor Halberstadt passed away on Friday 13 September 2024. He was Professor of Public Sector Economics at the Department of Economics of Leiden Law School, Leiden University, from 1974; latterly as professor emeritus.
He also held many other public positions and left his mark on both national and international governance and politics, as well as on the business and cultural sector.
With the passing of Professor Victor Halberstadt, the university has lost a distinctive and erudite person. Over a period lasting many decades, he bridged the gap between scholarship and practice. Many generations of students and staff will remember him as a pillar of support in their career choices. Many administrators at our university also often benefitted from his words of wisdom.
In his academic career, Professor Halberstadt was involved with the Fellowship Stichting (NIAS/KNAW) and was a member of the Advisory Board of NIOD (KNAW). He was affiliated to Koç University in Istanbul and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, as a member of the Supervisory Board from 2005. From 1987 to 1990, he was President of the International Institute of Public Finance.
In the Netherlands, he fulfilled an important advisory role from 1972 to 2004 as a Crown-appointed Member of the Social and Economic Council (SER). He was also a Crown-appointed Member of the Defence Affairs Advisory Council.
Professor Halberstadt also held numerous advisory and supervisory positions in the business sector. He was Chairman of the Daimler-Chrysler International Advisory Board (1995-2005), a member of the International Advisory Board of Chugai Ltd and, from 1991, was a member of the Advisory Board of the Goldman Sachs Group. He was also a supervisory director for Dutch corporations including ING, KPN and TNT.
Positions held in the cultural sector included Director of Concertgebouw (1988-2011), Member of the Board of Trustees of the Dutch National Opera, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Boekman Foundation.
Professor Halberstadt was also a driving force behind the Bilderberg Meetings and was Honorary Secretary-General from 1980 to 2000. From 1990 he was also a member of the Faculty of the World Economic Forum. He demonstrated his commitment to NGOs as Vice-Chair for the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) and as a member of the Population Council.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Professor Halberstadt was a renowned economist within the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA). In 1981, as government formateur, he resolved a cabinet crisis concerning a budget deficit, along with economist Cees de Galan.
In 1990, Professor Halberstadt was appointed Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion and in November 2018, he was awarded the Cross of Honour of the Order of the House of Orange. This distinction was in recognition of his long-time services to the Royal Household. For example, at the beginning of this century he assisted Queen Máxima with her introduction to Dutch society.
Leiden University, Leiden Law School and the Department of Economics are deeply indebted to Professor Victor Halberstadt. We offer his family and friends our sincere condolences at this time of sadness.
On behalf of the academic community,
College van Bestuur
Annetje Ottow
Hester Bijl
Martijn Ridderbos
Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid
Suzan Stoter
Jean Pierre van der Rest
Afdeling Economie
Olaf van Vliet
Kees Goudswaard
Koen Caminada