his radicalism. Like Bradlaugh, he objected to taking the customary oath when taking office. He took it under protest but was subsequently instrumental in getting the obligation removed in 1895. Once in office, he pushed for council minutes to be published and meetings to take place in the evening so that local people could attend. His criticism of the council led to resignations of a mayor and an alderman. It was while at Amersfoort that Gerritsen first met Paul Kruger, the President of the South African Republic, in 1884. Political career in Amsterdam In August 1885, Gerretsen moved to Amsterdam, then a centre for European radicalism. He joined a group of young radicals called (Young Amsterdam) under the pseudonym Hack van Oudheusden and quickly gained prominence for his writing. The group produced a radical manifesto including calls for universal suffrage, free primary education, separation of church and state, and the development of self-government in the colonies. On 11 July 1888, he was elected to the Amsterdam council. He collaborated with both liberals and church representatives who shared his goals. He was an advocate of municipal ownership of utilities, the vetting of companies for public contract on the basis of the payment of fair wages, and corporate responsibility for pensions. He helped form the (Radical League) on 6 November 1892 to represent these views in parliament. On 28 February 1893, he was elected a member of the Second Chamber of the States General for the Leeuwarden electoral district, and was re-elected on 16 May 1894. He served until 21 September 1897. On 6 September 1899, Gerretsen was appointed an alderman in Amsterdam with responsibility for the care for the poor, trade institutions and the pension agency. As an alderman, he came to be known primarily for his work reforming the local medical service. His reorganisation brought all medical, surgical and obstetric into public control, meaning doctors would now be permanent employees of the municipality. This brought him into conflict with the medical profession. In 1901, Gerretsen helped found the (Free-thinking Democratic League), which duly selected him to run for office. He was elected as member of the States of North Holland from 3 July 1901 to 5 July 1905 for the Amsterdam IX constituency. He was subsequently elected by the Den Helder district but died before he could take up the responsibility. Neo-Malthusianism and feminism Gerritsen believed that unchecked population growth