It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our colleague and friend, Hans de Bruijn. As Secretary General of API-IPA since 2013, Hans showed quiet, patient, and unwavering commitment. He passed away on Sunday, 30 November after a courageous battle with illness.
More than a secretary general, Hans was a dear friend to so many of us. Loyal, decent, and always modest, he had a constant, grounded sense of what was feasible, appropriate, and simply the right thing to do. Hans’ dedication to API-IPA was boundless, lasting until the very end of his battle with illness.
Born in The Hague in 1950, Hans spent many years of his professional career outside his home country, working as a correspondent in Brussels and Washington. Yet he always remained attached to his origins. He became API vice-president in 2011 after a 37-year career at the Netherlands Press Association (GPD).
We are deeply grateful for his boundless commitment to API. Even as he battled illness, Hans was the driving force behind our 50th-anniversary celebration in July at the Residence Palace. Both the small and major tasks he performed—quietly, diligently, and without fanfare—were essential to defending foreign correspondents.
His absence is felt acutely in our small, volunteer-driven organization. And we mourn his loss. But we also remember the joy and professionalism that Hans brought to our work. Hans held clear views on how to move our API forward, yet he always listened and consistently forged compromises in the interest of Brussels’ entire international press corps—members and non-members alike. This made him a deeply respected interlocutor in relations with the EU institutions, NATO, and the Belgian authorities.
Never judgmental and always able to see the lighter side, Hans made our correspondents’ community both stronger and kinder.
We encourage all API members to hold his wife Elianne, his family, and his loved ones in their thoughts during this difficult time.
May he rest in peace.