Simon Carmiggelt

Simon Carmiggelt, 1982

Simon Johannes Carmiggelt (born October 7, 1913 in The Hague , † November 30, 1987 in Amsterdam ) was a Dutch writer and columnist. He was best known for his newspaper columns ( Kronkel ) in the Dutch daily newspaper Het Parool and his television appearances.

youth

Carmiggelt grew up in his hometown of The Hague (at Loosduinsekade 206). His mother Jeanne had a hat and cap shop. His father was Herman, a meat salesman. He had an older brother, John, and came from a socialist, strongly anti-fascist background.

Early career

Simon Carmiggelt

Carmiggelt began as a journalist , first with the daily newspaper Het Vaderland , in 1932 with Vooruit , the Hague edition of the socialist daily newspaper Het Volk, as a stage and film critic. There he began to write Haager cursiefje's under the title Kleinigheden : humorous, short prose texts with reference to everyday events, which were the forerunners of the column in the Netherlands. Carmiggelt was an energetic young man with strong political convictions and his concern about the rise of German National Socialism in 1938 inspired him to take boxing lessons. “I wanted to be able to defend myself,” he said himself, “but I boxed badly.” In his local bar he met the fashion editor Tiny de Goey, whom he married on September 6, 1939. Marianne was born in February 1939 and their son Frank in November 1942.

Second World War

When the Germans invaded the Netherlands, they confiscated the printing machines and rationed the paper. In protest, Carmiggelt resigned from the newspaper and began as a freelance writer, among other things, with public relations work for the seaside resort of Scheveningen. He also edited psychological reports for the Psycho-Technologie Foundation and wrote a complex detective novel, John Jacob Justus , as a daily serial. The story was published only once at the express request of Carmiggelt himself.

“A youthful sin,” he called it himself, “I don't think back to it without shame. I wrote the story day by day, pushing the end further and further out. Because each episode meant a day longer bread on the table and so I developed more and more intrigues and side tracks. Together with my wife, I then spent several consecutive evenings thinking about how the story could come to an end. "

Through friends, he took part in the illegal publication of the newspaper Het Parool in Amsterdam . He was responsible for production and distribution. Both risky activities, for which Carmiggelt was arrested by the Germans and taken to prison.

His brother had since died in the Vught / Herzogenbusch concentration camp - he had been arrested by the SS for supporting Jews and illegally distributing food stamps to people in hiding. After a week, Carmiggelt was released for lack of evidence and immediately resumed his illegal activities. During the last years of the war he was the editor of Het Parool .

Biographers cite his war experiences as an explanation for Carmiggelt's later pessimism and, above all, his violent anti-totalitarian (and thus anti-communist) views. He was so violent in this position that, after the Hungarian uprising of 1956, he joined a furious protest march that stormed the editorial offices of the Communist Partij van Nederland De Waarheid newspaper .

After the liberation, Het Parool became a real daily newspaper and Carmiggelt was responsible for managing the features section. He wrote theater and film reviews and began his Cursiefjes , initially three times a week, later daily. His first Kronkel first appeared on October 25, 1946, and by his death in November 1987, more than 10,000 had appeared. A selection of 50 pieces from each year was published annually in book form. Sometimes these editions were illustrated by artist friends such as Peter Vos, Charles Boost, Otto Dicke or Peter van Straaten .

Awards

Carmiggelt has received several awards: in 1953 he received an award from the Hague Jan Campert Foundation, in 1961 he was awarded the Constantijn Huygensprijs by the same foundation for his complete work. In 1967 he received the Boekenverkopersprijs, which is awarded every five years, and in 1974 the highest Dutch literary award: the PC Hooft Prize .

Wim Kuyl: Simon Carmiggelt sculpture and his wife Tiny, Rhenen (NL)

death

After health problems with adult diabetes, Carmiggelt died at home as a result of his second heart attack.

Honors

• 1953 - Extra Prize from the Jan Campert Foundation for Poespas
• 1961 - Constantijn Huygensprijs for his complete works
• 1967 - Prijs van de Amsterdamse Boekverkopers Vereniging for his complete works, especially Fluiten in het donker
• 1977 - PC Hooft Prize for his complete works
• 1975 - Edo Bergsma-ANWB-prijs for his touristic work
• 1975 - JP van Praag-prijs

Works

• Vijftig dwaasheden , 1940
• Johan Justus Jacob , 1941
• Honderd dwaasheden , 1946
• De sneehoed , 1946
• Kronkels kronkelpaden , 1947
• Allemaal onzin , 1947
• Het jammerhout , 1948
• Tussen mal en dwaas , 1949
• Every kent ze , 1949
• Start small , 1950
• Omnibus , 1951
• Louter denying , 1951
• Poespas , 1952
• Made in Germany , 1952
• Wereld-Melkboeren , 1952
• Vergeet het maar , 1953
• Speciaal voor U , 1953
• Al mijn gal , 1954
• Twin set , 1954
• Ping pong , 1954
• Speciaal voor u , 1954
• Articles de Paris , 1955
• Milking Duiven , 1955
• Viegen vangen , 1955
• Speciaal voor u , 1955
• Fabriekswater , 1956
• Kwartet , 1956
• Spijbelen , 1956
• Speciaal voor u , 1956
• Haasje over , 1957
• De afgevallen blaadjes , 1957
• Kraaltjes rijgen , 1958
• Een toontje lager , 1959
• Milking Duiven , 1960
• Slap all orgels , 1961
• Een stoet van dwergen , 1961
• Torren aan de lijm , 1961
• Dag opa , 1962
• Kroeglopen , 1962
• Tussen twee stoelen , 1962
• Oude mensen , 1963
• We leven nog , 1963
• Weet ik veel , 1963
• Trilogy , 1963
• Kinderen ( compilation from Kleinbegan and Dag opa ), 1964
• Later is te laat , 1964
• Kroeglopen 2 , 1965
• Text voor een wijnkaart , 1965
• Maatschappelijk verkeer , 1965
• Fluiten in het donker , 1965
• Mooi weer vandaag , 1965
• Een hand vol kronkels , 1966
• Tomorrow zien we wel weer , 1967
• Omdat het zo lekker is , 1967
• Drie van vroeger , 1968
• Het panorama , 1968
• Je blijft laugh , 1968
• Rondje van de zaak , 1968
• Een beetje zon , 1968
• Mijn moeder had gelijk , 1969
• All kroegverhalen , 1969
• Twijfelen is toegestaan , 1970
• Gewoon maar doorgaan , 1971
• Ik likes niet mopperen , 1972
• Elke ochtend opstaan , 1973
• Brood voor de vogeltjes , 1974
• Slenteren , 1975
• Maatschappelijk verkeer , 1975
• Ze doen maar , 1976
• Dwaasheden , 1976
• Vroeger kon je lachen , 1977
• Bemoei je d'r niet mee , 1978
• De rest van je leven , 1979, ISBN 9029510897
• Mooi kado , 1979
• Carmiggelt op Steeg , 1979
• De avond valt , 1980
• Residentie van mijn jeugd , 1980
• Een Hollander in Parijs , 1981
• De duif , 1981
• Verhaaltjes van vroeger , 1981
• Welverdiende onrust , 1982
• Feestelijk , 1982
• De Amsterdamse kroeg , 1983
• Met de neus in de boeken , 1983
• Mag 't een ietsje meer zijn , 1983
• Ik red me wel , 1984
• Vreugden en verschrikkingen van de dronkenschap , 1984
• Alle kroegverhalen ( compilation of Kroeglopen I and ~ II ), 1984
• Ontmoetingen met Willem Elsschot , 1985
• Bij nader omzien , 1986
• Trio voor één hand , 1986
• De vrolijke jaren , 1987
• Het literaire leven , 1987
• Zelfportret in stukjes , 1989
• De kuise drinker , 1990
• Schemeren , 1992
• Van u heb ik ook een heleboel gelzen ... , 1993
• Thelonious en Picasso , 1995
• Croiset en Jongerius op een dag , 1996
• Visit , 1997
• Hoe Heet Keizer Karels Hond , 1997
• Best Godfried, best Simon , 1999
• Voorhout , 1999
• Zes kronkels , 1999
• Ruim baan , 1999
• Kenner , 2000
• Groninger melange , 2001
• Genot , 2001
• Respected Spreker , 2002
• De Engel , 2004
• Een grap , 2004
• Feest , 2005
• Terugkomen , 2005
• Louis Couperus bij Kronkel , 2005
• Afscheid van het oude jaar , 2006
• Het ad van december , 2006
• Ik lieg de waarheid , 2007
• Penal , 2007
• Uitzicht , 2007
• Amsterdam , 2007
• Over schrijvers en boeken , 2007
• Eten , 2007
• Kerstpakje , 2007
• Zwijgplicht , 2008
• August 16 , 2008
• Huwelijksperikelen , 2008
• Feestdagen , 2008
• Nadorst , 2008
• Het kerstverhaal , 2008
• Grap , 2009
• En toch , 2009
• Al goed , 2009
• De kerstman , 2009
• Winter , 2009
• Gelderse Avonturen , 2010
• Geen lintje, wel een pintje , 2010
• Bromfiets of niet: de Solex , 2010
• Kleinigheden , 2010
• De Kerstman hadn't warm , 2010
• Oud en nieuw , 2010
• The complete works of S. Carmiggelt. , 2010
• Ode , 2011
• Godfried , 2011

Translations

• Everything for the cat , 1954
• Don't worry , 1954
• Adventure with Children , 1955
• Parisian souvenirs , 1956
• High school , 1958
• Simply unheard of , 1959
• Of cats and young children , 1961
• A Dutchman's slight adventures , 1966
• The Art of Being a Grandfather , 1969
• The Art of Being Silent , 1970
• I'm just kidding: More of a Dutchman's slight adventures , 1972
• Cheerful from Amsterdam , 1980
• Humor sekolom senyum dikulum , 1982
• Heckoabko becnoae3hbix coobpaxehnn , 1985
• Xoaehe no kpbymnte , 1985
• Che cos' è un Amsterdammer , 1988
• Il venditore di aringhe e altri racconti di Amsterdam , 1993
• Morgau denove ni vidu ; Esperanto translation by Gerrit Berveling from Morgen zien we wel weer , 2002
• It Sometimes Sounds Very Nice , 2003
• The gifted cat , 2009

literature

• AM de Bakker: Simon Carmiggelt 1913–1987 . Stichting IVIO, Lelystad 1988
• Henk van Gelder: Een erg moeilijk vak. S. Carmiggelt in de reclame . De Carmiggeltvrienden, Nieuwerkerk Zld. 1996
• Henk van Gelder: Carmiggelt. Het Levensverhaal . Nijgh & Van Ditmar, Amsterdam 1999
• Henk van Gelder: Geen Kronkel, geen Bralleput . Vereniging van Carmiggeltvrienden, Amsterdam 2000
• Luc Verhuyck: Simon Carmiggelt Uitgeverij Orion, Brugge; Scheltens & Giltay Publishing House, The Hague 1975
• Sylvia Witteman , Thomas van den Bergh: S. Carmiggelt. Een levensverhaal . De Arbeiderspers publishing house, Amsterdam 1998

Web links

• Literature by and about Simon Carmiggelt in the catalog of the German National Library
• Biography in Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland (Dutch)