Herman Teirlinck facts for kids

Herman Louis Cesar Teirlinck (born in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek on February 24, 1879 – died in Beersel-Lot on February 4, 1967) was an important Belgian writer. He was the fifth child and only son of Isidoor Teirlinck and Oda van Nieuwenhove, who were both teachers in Brussels. When he was a child, he was often sick. He spent a lot of time in the countryside in Zegelsem (East Flanders) with his grandparents. Herman Teirlinck was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature six times because of his amazing writing.

School Days and Early Writings

From 1886 to 1890, Herman went to primary school in Brussels. Then, he went to high school at the Koninklijk Athenaeum (Royal Athenaeum) in Brussels. There, he studied Greek and Latin. One of his teachers was Hyppoliet Meert, who loved the Flemish language very much.

In 1879, his father wanted him to study science at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). But Herman really wanted to be a writer, not a scientist! He passed his first year of medicine, but then he left the ULB. He went to the University of Ghent to study Germanic philology, which is the study of language and literature. He didn't finish his studies there either.

Even though he didn't graduate, Herman started writing his first poems. These were called Metter Sonnewende (1899) and Verzen (1900). In Ghent, he met Karel van de Woestijne, who became his best friend for life.

Starting His Career

In 1902, Herman married Mathilde Lauwers. They had two daughters, Stella and Leentje. That same year, he got a job in Brussels working for the government in the Fine Arts department.

He also published his first books. In 1902, he released De wonderbare wereld (The Wonderful World). In 1903, he published Het stille gesternte (The Silent Stars). Also in 1903, he helped start an illustrated magazine called Vlaanderen (Flanders). Later, in 1906, he became a writer for the Het Handelsblad newspaper in Amsterdam.

Herman became very interested in city life in Brussels. In 1909, he wrote a novel called Ivoren Aapje (Ivory Monkey), which was his first story about Brussels. He also wrote an essay about Flemish theatre called Het Vlaamsch Tooneel (Flemish Theatre). He moved to Linkebeek and became involved in local politics there.

From 1912 to 1926, Herman was the director of a furniture factory. This job even allowed him to visit Belgian Congo.

A Life of Writing and Teaching

Herman Teirlinck kept writing many books. Some of his works include Johan Doxa and De lemen torens in 1917, and Nieuwe Uilenspiegel in 1922.

He also spent many years teaching. From 1910 to 1936, he taught Dutch at a school for boys who wanted to become teachers in Brussels. He also taught Dutch at the Academy for Fine Arts in Antwerp from 1925 to 1938, and at a school for girls in Brussels from 1928 to 1936.

In 1917, he became a member of the Society for Dutch Literature. In 1919, he joined the Royal Flemish Academy for Language and Literature. These were important groups for writers and language experts.

In 1928, his first wife passed away. Later that year, Herman married Johanna Hoofmans. They moved to a house in Beersel five years later.

Herman Teirlinck also advised the Belgian royal family. In 1920, he taught Flemish at the Royal Court. He became a special advisor to King Albert I in 1933, and to King Leopold III in 1934. In 1951, he became an honorary advisor to King Baudouin I.

Herman Teirlinck wrote in a unique Flemish style. He looked up to his friend Karel van de Woestijne as a great example. He was also inspired by impressionist painters, which you can see in his poems like Zon (Sun). Over time, his writing style became more like standard Dutch.

Theatre was one of Herman Teirlinck's biggest passions. He wrote many plays, such as De vertraagde film (Slowed Down Movie) in 1922, Ik dien (I Serve) in 1924, and De man zonder lijf (The Man Without a Body) in 1925. He also wrote De ekster en de galg (The Magpie and the Gallows) in 1937 and Ave in 1938. In these plays, he tried new ways to make the audience feel more involved in the story.

In his later years, starting with the novel Maria Speermalie in 1940, his writing explored deep questions about life and human nature. In 1946, he helped start a new Flemish magazine. He also founded the Studio van het Nationaal Toneel in Antwerp, which is now famous as the Studio Herman Teirlinck. He wanted to create a new way to train actors. He wrote down his ideas for the school in Pointering 48 (1948) and Dramatisch Peripatetikon (1959). In 1951, he created the Arkprijs van het Vrije Woord, an award for free speech. His last novel, Zelfportret of Het galgemaal (Self-Portrait or The Gallows Meal), came out in 1955. It was a book where he looked back at his own life.

The Mijol Club

In 1912, Herman Teirlinck started a literary club called De Mijol Club. Other famous writers like August Vermeylen and Ernest Claes were members. They used to meet at a tavern called 3 Fonteinen in Beersel, which is still there today! Mijol is the name of an old game they used to play.

Awards and Recognition

Herman Teirlinck received many awards for his work:

• 1923: Officer in the Order of the Crown, a special honor from the Belgian King.

Other Awards

• Belgian National Award for theatre (1925 and 1928)
• Belgian National Award for his entire work (1950)
• Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren (an important award for Dutch literature from Belgium and the Netherlands) in 1956.
• He also received honorary doctorates from several universities, including the Universite Libre de Bruxelles (1938), University of Amsterdam (1947), University of Liège (1954), and University of Ghent (1959). These are special degrees given to people who have achieved great things.

See also

• Flemish literature