Aarnoud Jan Anne Aleid Baron van Heemstra (22 July 1871 in Vreeland – 30 December 1957 in Arnhem) was a Dutch nobleman, jurist and politician. He served as mayor of Arnhem between 1910 and 1920, and Governor-General of Suriname from 1921 until 1928. Van Heemstra was the grandfather of Audrey Hepburn.
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Life and career
He was a member of the Van Heemstra family and was born in Vreeland, the son of Wilhelmina Cornelia (née de Beaufort, 1843–1927) and Willem Hendrik Johan Baron van Heemstra (1841–1909), the mayor of Loenen. He studied at Utrecht University where he obtained his doctorate in law in 1896.
Van Heemstra established himself in Arnhem where he was prosecuting lawyer. In 1902 he was appointed official at the district court in Roermond and in October 1909 deputy public prosecutor at the arrondissement court of Maastricht. In 1910 he became mayor of the city of Arnhem. He resigned in 1920 after a budget dispute, and was succeeded by Dirk Jan de Geer.
In 1921, van Heemstra was appointed governor of Suriname by Queen Wilhelmina. He started to focus on the economy of the colony, and develop the potential of the bauxite reserves. In 1922, Alcoa opened the first bauxite factory in Moengo. He tried to attract German mining companies, but was blocked by the States General of the Netherlands. In May 1924, he applied for a short leave, but did not return until 23 January 1925. He was reinstalled on 21 February 1925. There were several conflicts with the Estates of Suriname who called for his resignation. In 1928, he resigned as governor after a conflict with the States General.