With sadness, the college of mayor and aldermen of Haarlem has taken note of the passing of former mayor Jaap Pop. Pop was mayor of Haarlem between 1995 and 2006. He passed away last Tuesday (January 6) in his hometown Haarlem at the age of 84.
Pop started his career as a lawyer at the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG). He was mayor of Franeker from 1975 to 1981, mayor of Tiel from 1981 to 1988, and mayor of Alkmaar from 1988 to 1995. In addition to his mayoral duties, Pop was chairman of the Society of Mayors for many years.
As an amateur photographer, he got to know Haarlem in a different way. On the occasion of his retirement, the book Through the Eye of the Mayor was published, and in 2016 he curated the exhibition Goodbye Mayor(s) at Museum Haarlem.
Great Involvement
During his time as mayor of Haarlem, Jaap Pop built a bond with many residents of Haarlem from all walks of life. His special attention was directed towards promoting Haarlem as a cultural city and the relations with the sister cities Osnabrück, Angers, and Mutare. He fulfilled the role of mayor with great involvement. This was evident, among other things, during the aftermath of the fire at the Koningkerk in 2003, which cost the lives of 3 Haarlem volunteer firefighters, said mayor Jos Wienen.