Douwe Kalma

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Douwe Kalma (born April 3, 1896 in Boksum , † October 18, 1953 in Ljouwert ) was an author and poet and head of the Jongfryske Mienskip . He is considered one of the most important creators of modern West Frisian literature . He wrote numerous plays, translated all of William Shakespeare's works , founded a number of Frisian-language magazines and organized meetings in order to attract more attention to the West Frisian language . It is one of the historical subjects in the canon (history) of the Province of Fryslân.

Life

Founder of Jongfryske Mienskip

In the course of the Romantic era , a Frisian movement emerged in West, North and partly also in East Friesland . The Frisian movement was predominantly a language and cultural movement. It was mainly led by school teachers and journalists. In 1844 they founded the Frysk Selskip in West Frisia . For the Frysk Selskip, literature was a means of preserving the Frisian language. At the same time they tried to educate the Frisians and teach virtues such as discipline, diligence and thrift. Kalma was against the current of the Frysk Selskip. He wanted new impulses for the Frisian movement. First he wanted to spread his literary ideals. He began to write poems in which he expressed his feelings. By founding the Jongfryske Mienskip, he managed to get large groups of young people involved in the Frisian movement. Kalma was internationally oriented. According to the motto Friesland and the world , the international literature should also be accessible in Frisian. At the annual 'Jongfryske' summer schools on the West Frisian Islands, theater and reading foreign publications played an important role. According to the same motto, Kalma was of the opinion that Friesland should fulfill a cultural and political bridging function between England and Scandinavia.

Initiatives

In 1915 Kalma founded Jongfryske Mienskip , and in 1917 he founded the first complete Frisian-language literary magazine Frisia . In 1924 he was a co-founder of the Afûk . He translated all of William Shakespeare's works , translated Der Menschenfeind (1930) by Molière, published the Skiednis fan Fryslân (History of Friesland) in 1935 , the serious Frisian-language literary history and wrote numerous plays. Above all, his idioms contributed to the expansion of the standard Frisian language. He was committed to Frisian at elementary and secondary schools and wrote the first Frisian-language dissertation in 1938 .

Politics and war

Kalma became an English teacher in Eindhoven in 1931 . In the 1930s, Kalma became increasingly interested in politics, but had little success at the political level. He constantly changed his political opinion and constantly changed his membership in political parties. He quarreled with people in Jongfryske Mienskip and in 1933 was no longer allowed to be chairman. In 1940 Kalma became a member of the fascist Fryske Folkspartij , which was dissolved in 1941. In 1942 he left Eindhoven and moved to Rottevalle with Wike Zylstra. Zylstra was a teacher and very good friends with Kalma, but since Kalma was homosexual , there was probably no intimate relationship. During the war, Kalma published books with the help of the German occupiers. In 1943 he was awarded the Harmen Sytstra-priis , but sent it back in 1944.

After the war

After the war, Kalma was purged as a collaborator . When he was briefly imprisoned, Wike Zylstra pleaded for acquittal. According to Zylstra, he had never betrayed anyone and had given English lessons to the Jews in hiding. Kalma was banned from publishing, but this did not result in criminal prosecution. After the war, Kalma no longer had so many followers, and in the 'Rottevaller period' he devoted himself to translating Shakespeare.

On October 15, 1953, Douwe Kalma died in a traffic accident at the age of 57.

Burial and aftermath

More than 300 people attended the memorial service at Dearsumer Church on October 21. Various Frisian celebrities, from all possible political backgrounds, gave a speech. The poet and Social Democrat Fedde Schurer also spoke, who was a friend from a literary point of view and an enemy from a political point of view. After his death, Kalma delighted friends and foes with his scientific and literary work.

Although the funeral was held in Dearsum, there was no church funeral and no church staff spoke. Instead, his ashes were thrown into the sea by a young man - as requested - at sunrise on Ameland Beach (north of Nes ).

The translation of all of Shakespeare's works was published posthumously and his numerous plays remained very popular even after Kalma's death. The foundation of the AfÛk, the numerous translations and the idiom books contributed to the development of the standard Frisian language. In 1956 the Douwe Kalma Stifting was founded. In 2008 he was included in the Kanon fan de Fryske Skiednis (Canon of Frisian History).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Jan Pieter Janzen. 1997. Teake Hoekema, Jongfries en taalman - Literatuer is moai fansels, mar dêr allinne is foar Fryslân niks mei te win. in Trotwaer .
  2. ↑ Aleid Truijens. 2010. IJdeltuit, poet, folksverheffer in the Volkskrant
  3. ↑ Jelle Krol, 'Ynlieding', in: Douwe Kalma. Pick heels. Jelle Krol ed. (Leeuwarden 1996) 11-67
  4. ^ Johan Frieswijk, Geschiedschrijving als wapen in 'de Fries-nationale strijd' (1915-1945) (see left [1994]).
  5. ^ GR Zondergeld, De Friese moving in het tijdvak of the two wereldoorlogen (Leeuwarden 1978).
  6. ↑ Jelle Krol et al. a. 1996. Skriuwers yn byld no. 5: Douwe Kalma (1896-1953)
  7. ↑ Douwe Kalma - Friesland en de wereld op 11en30.nu
  8. ^ Douwe Kalma Stifting: About Douwe Kalma
  9. ↑ Gjalt Zondergeld. 2015. Douwe Kalma, de Mienskip en de Polityk in Nij Frisia (Volume LXIV. No. 4.)
  10. ↑ Canon fan de Fryske skeidnis: Douwe Kalma
  11. ^ Website of the Douwe Kalma Stifting
personal data
SURNAME Kalma, Douwe
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Author, poet, and head of Jongfryske Mienskip
DATE OF BIRTH April 3, 1896
PLACE OF BIRTH Boksum
DATE OF DEATH October 18, 1953
Place of death Ljouwert