Paaltjens, Piet |
| POET, CLERGYMAN (THE NETHERLANDS) |
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BORN 14 Feb 1835, Leeuwarden, Friesland - DIED 19 Jan 1894, Schiedam, Zuid-Holland BIRTH NAME Haverschmidt, François CAUSE OF DEATH suicide by hanging GRAVE LOCATION Schiedam, Zuid-Holland: Begraafplaats Beukenhof, Burgemeester van Haarenlaan 1450 (BA 89) |
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The romantic writer François Haverschmidt was the son of the apothecarian and wine merchant Nicolaas Theodorus Haverschmidt. His mother was Geeke, born Bekius. He studied theology at Leiden University where he lived above a necromancer and he would refer to him in one of his poems. When he attended the wedding of his friend Adrianus van Wessem in Tiel, he met Jacoba Johanna Maria Osti and he married her in 1863. He worked as a minister in Foudgrom and Raard from 1859, Den Helder from 1862 and Schiedam from 1864. There he stayed for the rest of his life. He had a somber nature and he found it hard to observe the bad living conditions of his parishioners. He frequently suffered from depressions. Meanwhile he published his literary work under the name of Piet Paaltjens.In 1853 his balled "Jan van Zutphen's afscheidsmaal, 1257" was published. "Vreemdeling in het land van de alledaagse werkelijkheid" followed in 1861. His best known collection of poems is "Snikken en grimlachjes" (1867). The sudden death death of his wife in 1891 added to his depressions and in 1894, he ended his life by hanged himself in the bed with a rope. He was buried in Schiedam. Much of his work was first published after his death. A statue was erected for him in Leiden and a bust in Leeuwarden. |
| Images | |
 The grave of François Haverschmidt (Piet Paaltjens) at Beukenhof cemetery in Schiedam, Zuid-Holland. Picture by Androom (05 May 2026) |
 The grave of François Haverschmidt (Piet Paaltjens) at Beukenhof cemetery in Schiedam, Zuid-Holland. Picture by Androom (05 May 2026) |
Sources • Winkler Prins Encyclopedie (editie 1909), 1909 • Over Piet Paaltjens |
