Cyriel (also spelled Cyrille) Geerinck (5 August 1889 – 19 October 1955) was a Flemish educator, poet, writer and stage director. He was active as a teacher in the

Waasland The Waasland is a Belgian region. It is part of the Belgian provinces of East Flanders and Antwerp. The other borders of the Land van Waas are with the Scheldt and Durme rivers. The (informal) capital and major city of the region is Sint-Niklaas. ...

. He studied pedagogy at the St. Joseph Minor Seminary in Sint-Niklaas. In 1909 he started working in the municipal primary school of

Waasmunster Waasmunster () is a municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders, in Belgium. The municipality only comprises the town of Waasmunster proper. In 2021, Waasmunster had a total population of 10,912. The total area is 31.93 km2. ...

, where he taught until the 1945-1946 school year.

Biography

Early life

He was active as a teacher in the

. He was educated in pedagogy at the St. Joseph Minor Seminary in

Sint-Niklaas Sint-Niklaas (; french: Saint-Nicolas, ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Sint-Niklaas proper and the towns of Belsele, Nieuwkerken-Waas, and . Sint-Nikl ...

. In 1909 he started working in the municipal primary school of Waasmunster. Here taught until the 1945-1946 school year. Geerinck also taught in French to both school children and adults. He was also active for many years as an inspiration and director of the theater companies ''Onder ons'' and ''Rust Roest''. He sat for more than 30 years as an active board member in the party committee of Waasmunster and he was the guiding force behind the so-called ''Roosenbergfeesten'' of the

Roosenberg Abbey Roosenberg Abbey was established in 1238 at Waasmunster, halfway between Ghent and Antwerp. The abbey is still operating at Waasmunster, though not on its original site. Its 750-year history has not been uninterrupted. Today the focus of its ...

. He was also active in municipal politics for the CVP. Although not officially elected to office, he was present at many city councils.

Activity as a poet

As a poet, he wrote several collections of poetry, both in Dutch and in French. His most famous poem is ''L'Etang Bleu'', published in 1938 by Ed. Vermaut. It was warmly received in Belgium but also in France, and frequently reprinted. Because of his literary affinity with the French language, Geerinck's work as a man of letters is influenced by the French literature of the 19th century. Geerinck's style of poetry is characterized by many elements and aspects from both

Symbolism Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: Arts * Symbolism (arts), a 19th-century movement rejecting Realism ** Symbolist movement in Romania, symbolist literature and visual arts in Romania during the late 19th and early 20th centuries ** Russian sy ...

and

Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

. He was a great admirer of the Flemish French-speaking poet

Emile Verhaeren Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *'' Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *'' Emil and the Detecti ...

. The works of Verhaeren would be a lasting stimulus throughout Cyriel's literary career. In addition, strong influences from spiritualism can be observed in his work. He was a convinced Catholic and Fleming.

Death

He was hit by a vehicle near

Sinaai Sint-Niklaas (; french: Saint-Nicolas, ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Sint-Niklaas proper and the towns of Belsele, Nieuwkerken-Waas, and . Sint-Nikl ...

while riding his bicycle, and taken to the hospital of Sint-Niklaas with a fractured skull. He died there in a comatose state on 19 October 1955. The funeral took place on 22 October. Former students and prominent figures formed a guard of honor to pay a final greeting to Geerinck. He was buried in the Waasmunster cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geerinck, Cyriel 1889 births 1955 deaths People from Waasmunster Flemish educators Flemish poets Belgian schoolteachers Belgian male poets 20th-century Belgian educators 20th-century Belgian male writers 20th-century Belgian poets Belgian writers in French Road incident deaths in Belgium