Cissy van Marxveldt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cissy van Marxveldt
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| Born | Sietske de Haan 24 November 1889 Oranjewoud, Netherlands |
| Died | 31 October 1948 (aged 58) Bussum, Netherlands |
| Pen name | Cissy van Marxveldt |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Spouse | Leo Beek (1916–1944) |
| Children | Leo and IJnze |
Sietske de Haan (born November 24, 1889 – died October 31, 1948) was a famous Dutch writer. She is much better known by her pen name, Cissy van Marxveldt. She wrote many popular books for children and young adults. Her most famous books are the Joop ter Heul series.
About Cissy van Marxveldt
Sietske de Haan was born on November 24, 1889. Her hometown was Oranjewoud, a small village in the northern part of the Netherlands. Her father, IJnze de Haan, was a headmaster (the principal of a school) and a history teacher.
In 1914, Sietske met Leon Beek. He was a soldier and later managed a department store. Sietske and Leon got married on February 2, 1916. They had two sons, Ynze and Leo.
During World War II, the Netherlands was occupied by Germany. Leon Beek joined the Dutch resistance. This group secretly fought against the occupation. Sadly, Leon was captured and tragically lost his life during the war in 1944. Cissy only found out what happened to him in 1946. She passed away in Bussum on October 31, 1948.
Her Writing Career
Cissy van Marxveldt started her writing career by creating articles and stories. These were published in Dutch magazines. She used different pen names, which are fake names writers use. Her main pen name was Cissy van Marxveldt.
In 1916, the same year she got married, she published her first book. This book was the start of a popular series about a strong-willed girl named Joop ter Heul. These books were quite similar to Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. They often included diary entries and letters.
The Joop ter Heul series followed Joop, her sister, and her school friends. It showed their lives from when they were girls all the way through their marriages. The series has five books:
- The High School Years of Joop ter Heul (1919)
- Joop ter Heul's Problems (1921)
- Joop ter Heul Gets Married (1923)
- Joop and Her Boys (1925)
- Joop ter Heul's Daughter (1946)
Influence on Anne Frank
Cissy van Marxveldt's Joop ter Heul novels were very popular with teenage girls. They even had a big impact on the famous diary writer, Anne Frank. Anne Frank wrote her diary entries to an imaginary friend named Kitty.
Experts who study Anne Frank, and even Anne's real-life friend Kitty Egyedi, believe something special. They think that Anne Frank's Kitty was based on a character from Cissy van Marxveldt's books. This character was Kitty Francken, who was a friend of Joop ter Heul and often received letters from her.
Cissy van Marxveldt also wrote many other books for young adults. One of her books, Een zomerzotheid (which means "A Summer Folly"), sold very well. This success helped her become quite wealthy.
Her very last book was called She Suffered Too. She dedicated this book to her husband after she learned he had died during the war. He was a resistance fighter who bravely stood up against the Nazi occupation.
During her lifetime, Cissy van Marxveldt published 27 books. Two more books were published after she passed away.
