August Albert Keersmaekers (1920–2009) was a Belgian literary scholar, with a particular interest in

Dutch-language literature Dutch-language literature () comprises all writings of literary merit written through the ages in the Dutch language, a language which currently has around 23 million native speakers. Dutch-language literature is the product of the Netherlands, ...

of the 17th through to early 20th centuries, and the literature of the Kempen. He identified a number of poems by

Gerbrand Bredero Gerbrand Adriaenszoon Bredero (16 March 1585 – 23 August 1618) was a Dutch poet and playwright in the period known as the Dutch Golden Age. Life Gerbrand Adriaenszoon Bredero was born on 16 March 1585 in Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic, where ...

, which had been assumed to reflect incidents in the poet's own life, as translations of French originals, fundamentally changing the understanding of Bredero's character and literary career.

Life

Keersmaekers was born in

Retie Retie (; , ) is a municipality located in the Campine region of the province of Antwerp (province), Antwerp, Belgium. The municipality comprises the town of Retie proper and several hamlets of which Schoonbroek is the largest. In 2021, Retie had a ...

on 26 October 1920, the youngest of five children in a farming family. He was educated at the local primary school and then at the

Minor Seminary A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Priesthood (Catholic Church), Catholic priests. They are generally ...

Hoogstraten Hoogstraten () is a municipality and city located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises Hoogstraten, Meer, Meerle, Meersel-Dreef, Minderhout and Wortel (Meersel-Dreef includes the northernmost point in Belgium). Ho ...

.Luc Daems
August Albert Keersmaekers
''Jaarboek van de Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde, 2012'' (2013), pp. 65-74. In 1938 the family moved to Arendonk, and August matriculated at the

Catholic University of Leuven University of Leuven or University of Louvain (; ) may refer to: * Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) * State University of Leuven (1817–1835) * Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) * Katholieke Universiteit Leuven or KU Leuven (1968 ...

. During his years as a student he was also involved in literary and cultural activities. In 1942 he graduated Licentiate in Germanic Philology, with an additional certificate for teaching in secondary education. After graduating he taught at the state secondary school in

Turnhout Turnhout () is a Belgium, Belgian Municipalities in Belgium, municipality and city located in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of Antwerp (province), Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the city of Turnhout proper. ...

until 1958. In 1945 he married Maria Ooms (1923–2009), with whom he would have ten children. In 1952 he completed a doctoral dissertation on

Willem van Nieulandt II Guilliam or Willem van Nieulandt or van Nieuwelandt (1582/84–1635) was a Flemish painter, engraver, poet and playwright from Antwerp. He spent two thirds of his career in the Habsburg Netherlands and the remainder in Italy and the Dutch Republi ...

, and in 1961 he became a lecturer at the Facultés Universitaires Saint-Louis in Brussels. In 1963 he added courses at a college of commercial education in Antwerp. From 1969 until his retirement on 1 October 1986, he taught at the Jesuit university in Antwerp. Keersmaekers was a member of numerous literary and scholarly societies, and in 1978 he was elected to the

Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature The Royal Flemish Academy for Dutch Language and Literature (, , abbr. KANTL) is an institution focused on the study and promotion of the Dutch language in Flanders. It is the Dutch-speaking counterpart of the Académie royale de langue et de li ...

, in succession to the recently deceased Stephanus Axters. He was acting president of the academy in 1988 and in 1994. His wife died on 12 April 2009, and he died the following 28 September, at home in

Duffel Duffel () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Belgium, Belgian province of Antwerp (province), Antwerp. The municipality comprises the town of Duffel proper. On 1 January 2020, Duffel had a total population of 17,664. The total ar ...

, where he had lived since 1963.

Bibliography

Over the course of his lifetime Keersmaekers wrote at least 498 publications, not counting over 200 book reviews. The most significant of these are: * ''Het milde leven'' (1946) * ''De dichter Guilliam van Nieuwelandt en de Senecaans-classieke tragedie in de Zuidelijke Nederlanden'' (1957) * "De onbekende Bredero", ''Spiegel der letteren'', 11 (1968-1969), pp. 81–97. * ''Felix Timmermans: een wonder van eenvoud'' (1990) * ''Het geluk van de schrijver: Felix Timmermans en zijn Pallieter'' (2000)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keersmaekers, August Albert 1920 births 2009 deaths Catholic University of Leuven alumni