Anti-Revolutionary Party

The Anti-Revolutionary Party was an orthodox Calvinist political group in the Netherlands, founded in 1878 by Abraham Kuyper. It was the first properly organized Dutch political party. The party's program combined orthodox religious views with a progressive social agenda, attracting a significant following among the lower-middle class.1

A central issue for the party, and a major point of political controversy in the Netherlands, was the "school conflict" (schoolstrijd). This debate pitted advocates of state-funded public schools against religious parties, including the Anti-Revolutionaries, who demanded state support for private, denominational schools. In 1888, Kuyper formed a coalition with the Roman Catholic party, which allowed them to gain power and implement policies favoring these private schools. This political culture, characterized by accommodation between religious and ideological groups, shaped Dutch public life for much of the 20th century.2