Gerbrand Adriaenszoon Bredero (16 March 1585 – 23 August 1618) was a Dutch

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

and playwright in the period known as the Dutch Golden Age.

Life

Gerbrand Adriaenszoon Bredero was born on 16 March 1585 in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

in the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

, where he lived his whole life. He called himself ''"G.A. Bredero, Amstelredammer"'', and sometimes he is called ''Breero'' or ''Brederode''. He was the third child of Marry Gerbrants and Adriaen Cornelisz Bredero, who was a

shoemaker Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or cobblers (also known as '' cordwainers''). In the 18th century, dozens or even hundreds of masters, journeymen ...

and a successful

real estate agent A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...

. Bredero was born in the ''Nes'', nowadays number 41, and in 1602 he and his family moved to a house on

Oudezijds Voorburgwal The Oudezijds Voorburgwal, often abbreviated to OZ Voorburgwal, is a street and canal in De Wallen in the center of Amsterdam. The OZ Voorburgwal runs from the Grimburgwal in the south to the Zeedijk in the north, where it changes into the Oud ...

, now number 244, which his father had bought. Bredero lived in this house for the rest of his life. Both houses are now restaurants in Amsterdam's famous red light district. At school Bredero learned French and possibly also some

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

. Later he was educated as an artist by the Antwerp painter Francesco Badens, but none of his paintings have survived. In 1611 he became a member of the ''

rederijkers Chambers of rhetoric ( nl, rederijkerskamers) were dramatic societies in the Low Countries. Their members were called Rederijkers (singular Rederijker), from the French word 'rhétoricien', and during the 15th and 16th centuries were mainly inte ...

kamer'' ''d'Eglantier'', where he was an active member and became friends with

Roemer Visscher Roemer Pieterszoon Visscher (1547 – 19 February 1620) was a successful Dutch merchant, the first Dutch underwriter and writer of the Dutch Golden Age. Life Visscher was born in and lived in Amsterdam and was an important and central figure of t ...

and P.C.Hooft. Together with Hooft he joined Costers '' Nederduytsche Academie''. Around this time he wrote the play ''"De Spaanschen Brabander Jerolimo"''. The only public position Bredero achieved was as ''vaandrig'' or

standard bearer A standard-bearer, also known as a flag-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as a ...

of the civic guard. On 23 August 1618, at the age of 33, Bredero suddenly died, shortly after he had recovered from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

that he had contracted after falling through ice. He never married.

Plays

* ''Rodd'rick ende Alphonsus'' (first performed in 1611) * ''Griane'' (first performed in 1612) * '' Klucht van de Koe'' * ''Klucht van de Molenaer'' * ''Moortje'' (first performed in 1615) * ''Lucelle'' (first performed circa 1616) * ''Spaansen Brabander'' (''Spanish Brabanter''; first performed in 1617)

References

External links

G.A. Bredero
– digital versions of a major part his oeuvre ''(in Dutch)''
Bredero song text page
– English translations of several songs of Bredero
G.A. Bredero 1585–1618
– pictures of Bredero
Newly discovered poems of Bredero and Starter
– digital versions of in 2004 discovered poems ''(in Dutch)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Bredero, Gerbrand Adriaenszoon 1585 births 1618 deaths 17th-century Dutch poets 17th-century Dutch dramatists and playwrights Dutch Golden Age writers Dutch male poets Muiderkring Writers from Amsterdam Dutch male dramatists and playwrights