Theun de Vries facts for kids

Theun de Vries (1963)

Theun de Vries (born April 26, 1907 – died January 21, 2005) was a famous Dutch writer and poet. He wrote many books and poems during his long life.

The Life of Theun de Vries

Theun de Vries was born in a town called Feanwâlden in the Dutch region of Friesland. In 1920, when he was 13, his family moved to Apeldoorn.

In 1936, he joined a political group called the Communist Party of the Netherlands. A year later, he moved to Amsterdam to work as a journalist. He became an editor for two newspapers, De Tribune (which later became De Waarheid) and De Vrije Katheder.

During World War II

During World War II, when the Nazi army took over the Netherlands, Theun de Vries was arrested. He was held in a prison camp called Kamp Amersfoort. After the war ended, he became a member of the city council in Amsterdam. This meant he helped make decisions for the city.

Even though he was a Communist, he translated a book called One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich into Dutch in 1963. This book was against the Soviet Union, which was a Communist country at the time. Because of this, his political party destroyed all copies of the book.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1971, Theun de Vries left the Communist Party. However, he still believed in the ideas of marxism, which is a way of thinking about society and economics. He continued to support these ideas throughout his life.

Theun de Vries passed away in Amsterdam when he was 97 years old. He had been sick with several lung infections.

Famous Books by Theun de Vries

Theun de Vries wrote many poems and novels. He wrote in both Dutch and Frisian, which is a language spoken in Friesland.

Novels About Resistance

Some of his most well-known novels are about the Dutch resistance during World War II. The resistance was a group of people who secretly fought against the Nazi occupation.

One famous book is The Girl with the Red Hair (Het meisje met het rode haar). It tells the story of a real-life Dutch resistance fighter named Hannie Schaft. This book was even made into a popular movie in 1981. He also wrote a series of three books called Februari, which was also about the Dutch resistance.

Biographies and History

Theun de Vries also wrote several biographies, which are books about the lives of real people. His book about the philosopher Baruch Spinoza became famous around the world and was translated into other languages. He also wrote about other important figures like Karl Marx, R.J. Schimmelpenninck, Haydn, Bosch, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh.

He also wrote a detailed history book called Ketters (which means "Heretics"). This book was about different Christian groups that had beliefs different from the main church.