Van Rossem: 'Gerrit Achterberg is een moordenaar en hij is één van Neerlands beste dichters' - Summary

Summary

The video discusses the life of Dutch poet Gerrit Achterberg, who was born in Sandenburg Castle and lived there as a child. Achterberg was considered one of the best poets of the twentieth century in Dutch and won two major prizes. However, in 1937 he murdered a hospital patient and was institutionalized. Despite this, he continued to write and became known for his love poetry. The video urges viewers to appreciate Achterberg's poetry regardless of his troubled past.

Facts

1. The castle in the video is Sandenburg Castle where poet Gerrit Achterberg was born.
2. Gerrit Achterberg was a renowned poet in Dutch and won two major prizes, the PC Hooft Prize and the Constantijn Huygens Prize.
3. Achterberg murdered a hospital staff member in 1937.
4. He spent the war in psychiatric institutions where he continued to write poetry.
5. Achterberg's poetry is considered to be worth reading despite his history.