Theun de Vries
Encyclopedia
Theunis Uilke de Vries (26 April 1907 - 21 January 2005), was a Dutch
writer
and poet
.
. His parents moved to Apeldoorn in 1920. In 1936 he joined the Communist Party of the Netherlands
and a year later he moved to Amsterdam to pursue a career in journalism. He became editor of the communist newspaper De Tribune and De Vrije Katheder. After the occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi forces he was arrested and imprisoned in Kamp Amersfoort
. In 1971 he left the party without renouncing marxism, which he continued to uphold until the end of his life.
He died in Amsterdam
at the age of 97 after having suffered from several bouts of pneumonia
.
. Among his most acclaimed novels are Het meisje met het rode haar (The girl with the red hair
) and the trilogy Februari (February), both novels about the Dutch resistance
in World War II
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
Life
De Vries was born in the Frisian town of VeenwoudenDantumadeel
Dantumadiel is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Dantumadiel is a rural municipality characterized by agriculture.- History :...
. His parents moved to Apeldoorn in 1920. In 1936 he joined the Communist Party of the Netherlands
Communist Party of the Netherlands
The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :...
and a year later he moved to Amsterdam to pursue a career in journalism. He became editor of the communist newspaper De Tribune and De Vrije Katheder. After the occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi forces he was arrested and imprisoned in Kamp Amersfoort
Kamp Amersfoort
Amersfoort concentration camp was a Nazi concentration camp in Amersfoort in the Netherlands. The official name was "Polizeiliches Durchgangslager Amersfoort", P.D.A. or Police Transitcamp Amersfoort. During the years of 1941 to 1945, over 35,000 prisoners were kept here...
. In 1971 he left the party without renouncing marxism, which he continued to uphold until the end of his life.
He died in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
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...
at the age of 97 after having suffered from several bouts of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.
Works
De Vries wrote poetry and novels, both in Dutch and FrisianWest Frisian language
West Frisian is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian,...
. Among his most acclaimed novels are Het meisje met het rode haar (The girl with the red hair
Hannie Schaft
Jannetje Johanna Schaft , was a Dutch communist resistance fighter during World War II. She became known as the girl with the red hair...
) and the trilogy Februari (February), both novels about the Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.