Gustaaf Segers (29 December 1848 – 3 April 1930) was a Flemish writer,

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

and German teacher and Vondel scholar.

Biography

He graduated from the state normal school in Lier as a teacher. He received his first appointment in 1868 in the municipal education of Leuven. In 1873 a story by Segers was published in ''De Vlaamsche Kunstbode''. In 1875 he became a teacher in Antwerp, and in 1879 he became a teacher of

Dutch language Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-Europea ...

and

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

and of German language at the normal school in Lier. His debut ''Dorpsgeschiedenissen'' was also published that year. A second collection of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

, ''In de Kempen'' followed in 1882. During his career Segers published several essays on

Joost van den Vondel Joost van den Vondel (; 17 November 1587 – 5 February 1679) was a Dutch poet, writer and playwright. He is considered the most prominent Dutch poet and playwright of the 17th century. His plays are the ones from that period that are still mos ...

, the first in 1887. In total, he produced about thirty texts about this writer, his life and his work. His first novel, ''Twee beren'', was published in 1890. In addition to creative work (novels, novellas and short stories), he was also the author of essays on parenting, education and language teaching. Segers was a strong opponent of teaching a second language in primary education. He believed that at that age the study of a second language prevented a solid knowledge of the mother tongue. He was invited on 11 July 1894 to become a corresponding member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Language and Literature as the successor of , who became an ordinary member. On 17 December 1900, he became a full member, succeeding , who died that year. A street in

Hoogstraten Hoogstraten () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises Hoogstraten, Meer, Meerle, Meersel-Dreef, Minderhout and Wortel (Meersel-Dreef includes the northernmost point in Belgium). Hoogstrate ...

is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Segers, Gustaaf 1848 births 1930 deaths 19th-century Belgian novelists 20th-century Belgian novelists 19th-century Belgian educators 20th-century Belgian educators Belgian short story writers Belgian academics Belgian scholars People from Hoogstraten