Editing Willem Drees (section)

=== World War II ===
Shortly after the [[German invasion of the Netherlands]], Albarda announced he was stepping down as party leader, and Drees was unanimously selected as his successor on 14 May 1940. During the German occupation, Drees was taken hostage in [[Buchenwald concentration camp]] on 7 October 1940. On 7 October 1941, he was moved to [[Kamp Sint-Michielsgestel]], but he was released on 11 May 1942 due to poor health.<ref name="parlement.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09ll01jztw/w_willem_drees |title=Dr. W. (Willem) Drees|website=[[Parlement.com]]|access-date=25 January 2021|language=nl}}</ref> After his release, Drees played a prominent role as vice chairman and acting chairman of the illegal Executive Committee of the SDAP, and as a prominent participant in secret interparty consultations. In 1944, he became chairman of the ''Contact Commissie van de Illegaliteit'' and a member of the ''College van Vertrouwensmannen'', which the government-in-exile charged with the preparation of steps to be taken at the time of liberation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oorlogsbronnen.nl/thema/Vaderlandsch%20Comit%C3%A9 |title=Vaderlandsch Comité|website=Oorlogs Bronnen|access-date=25 January 2022|language=nl}}</ref>