Boudewijn Büch
Encyclopedia
Boudewijn Maria Ignatius Büch (December 14, 1948 – November 23, 2002) was a Dutch writer, poet and television presenter.
family. He was born in a hospital in The Hague
and spent his childhood in Wassenaar
. His father was a civil servant. He and Boudewijn's mother divorced in 1963. Boudewijn had five brothers, one of them Menno Büch.
One of these lies was that he was the father of a child that had died at the age of around six. The boy he referred to did exist, but the child was not his and it did not die. This lie formed the basis of his successful novel De kleine blonde dood ("The small blond death").
, summer 1988 – autumn 2001), in which he travelled all around the world to show and give his views on various places, people and phenomena.
, specializing in various subjects, including biology, Goethe
and explorers. At his death, he possessed approximately 100,000 books. Furthermore he was very interested in islands, specifically islands that were hard to visit, like Bouvet Island near Antarctica. He wrote five non-fiction books on the subject of islands, commonly known in Dutch as the 'Islands series'.
's Keizersgracht on November 23 2002 and believed to have died that day at circa 2pm.
Early life
Büch originated from a to the Catholic Church converted JewishJews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
family. He was born in a hospital in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and spent his childhood in Wassenaar
Wassenaar
Wassenaar is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. A fairly affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km north of that city on the N44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region...
. His father was a civil servant. He and Boudewijn's mother divorced in 1963. Boudewijn had five brothers, one of them Menno Büch.
Controversy
Büch exhibited pseudologia fantastica, uttering many complete falsehoods about his life. Tellingly, a 2004 biography has the subtitle (translated) "Report on a mystification".One of these lies was that he was the father of a child that had died at the age of around six. The boy he referred to did exist, but the child was not his and it did not die. This lie formed the basis of his successful novel De kleine blonde dood ("The small blond death").
Television
One of Büch's most successful television programmes was De wereld van Boudewijn Büch (VARAVARA (broadcaster)
The Omroepvereniging VARA is a Dutch public broadcasting association operating within the framework of the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep system, founded in 1925 as the Vereeniging van Arbeiders Radio Amateurs...
, summer 1988 – autumn 2001), in which he travelled all around the world to show and give his views on various places, people and phenomena.
Bibliophilia
Büch was a bibliophileBibliophilia
Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books. Accordingly a bibliophile is an individual who loves books. A bookworm is someone who loves books for their content, or who otherwise loves reading. The -ia-suffixed form "bibliophilia" is sometimes considered to be an incorrect usage; the older...
, specializing in various subjects, including biology, Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
and explorers. At his death, he possessed approximately 100,000 books. Furthermore he was very interested in islands, specifically islands that were hard to visit, like Bouvet Island near Antarctica. He wrote five non-fiction books on the subject of islands, commonly known in Dutch as the 'Islands series'.
Death
Büch was found dead in his house on AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
's Keizersgracht on November 23 2002 and believed to have died that day at circa 2pm.