The directory «Plots»

Hans Abraham
(1882–1939)
Books for children

Abraham Hans owned his fame not as journalist or Flemish foreman, but as writer of numerous popular novels and child books. He produced more than 700 stories, and published a weekly of 32 pages for children, called the "Hansjes". 800 "Hansjes" were published during his life.

Abraham Hans was the son of a Dutch school teacher, Bastiaan Hans, who immigrated to Horebeke from Den Briel in the Netherlands. Abraham was born in Korsele on February 12, 1882, as seventh child. His house of birth houses now the Abraham Hans Museum. He lived here only five years. Due to the School Controversy (Schoolstrijd) in Belgium during the second half of the 19th century, the family of Abraham Hans had to migrate to the West-Flemish City of Roeselare. During the school holidays, Abraham returned to and staid regularly in Korsele. In 1903, Abraham received his licence of schoolteacher in Doetinchem (Netherlands). He taught in several places in Belgium and the Netherlands. After several years of teaching, he became journalist, first for the Dutch newspaper "De Telegraaf", later for the Flemish newspaper "Het Laatste Nieuws". During his life, Abraham Hans was confronted with the misery of the Flemish seasonal workers leaving their home-towns for France, and with the frenchified education in Flanders, Abraham Hans became a fighter for the Flemish cause. He was one of the founders of the Association of Civilised Dutch Colloquial Language (Vereniging voor Beschaafde Nederlandse Omgangstaal).

Belgium, 1981, Abraham Hans