One of the main founders and thinkers of socialism and anarchism in the Netherlands. Nieuwenhuis was a former protestant preacher.
In 1888 he was elected in parlement for the Frisian district of Schoterland. He beat the Anti-Revolutionary candidate in the first round and had to compete against an liberal in the second round. The reformed church in his district, called on their followers not to vote for the liberal and Nieuwenhuis won.
Elected into parlement he soon lost faith in democracy. Although he supported the SDB, which became late the Communist Party in the splitoff of the social democratic party.
After his parlementary career he became an anarchist.