Pierre Lauffer
{{short description|Curaçao writer and poet}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Pierre Lauffer
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Pierre Antoine Lauffer{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40986321 |title=Pierre Antoine Lauffer|author=Olga E. Rojer, Joseph O. Aimone and Pierre Antoine Lauffer |year=2007|journal=Journal of Caribbean Literatures |volume=5|issue=1|pages=97–103|jstor=40986321}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1920|08|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = Curaçao
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1981|06|14|1920|08|22}}
| death_place = Willemstad, Curaçao{{cite news|url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?coll=ddd&page=1&facets%5Bperiode%5D%5B%5D=2%7C20e_eeuw%7C1980-1989%7C1981%7C&identifier=ddd:010640683:mpeg21:a0135&resultsidentifier=ddd:010640683:mpeg21:a0135&rowid=10|title=Pierre Antoine Lauffer|website=Amigoe via Delpher.nl|date=18 June 1981|access-date=23 April 2021|language=pap}}
| nationality =
| other_names =
| occupation = Writer and poet
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works = Kumbu (1955)
Kantika pa Bientu (1964)
}}
Pierre Lauffer (22 August 1920 – 14 June 1981) was a Curaçaoan writer and poet who mainly wrote in Papiamentu. He is considered one of the greatest poets of Curaçao.{{cite web|url=https://www.writersunlimited.nl/en/participant/pierre-lauffer-ensemble |title=Pierre Lauffer Ensemble |website=Writers Unlimited|access-date=23 April 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://werkgroepcaraibischeletteren.nl/pierre-lauffer-nationaal-auteur/ |title=Pierre Lauffer: nationaal auteur|author=Wim Rutgers|access-date=23 April 2021|language=nl}}{{cite book|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/nord001schr01_01/nord001schr01_01_0002.php |title=Schrijversprentenboek van de Nederlandse Antillen|year=1980|author=Anton Korteweg, Kees Nieuwenhuijzen, Max Nord|location=Amsterdam|publisher=De Bezige Bij|page=16|language=nl}}
Biography
Lauffer was born on 22 August 1920 as Pierre Antoine Lauffer. He graduated from the Mulo (junior high school) in 1936, and started various jobs as a civil servant, a military policeman, and an undertaker. During this time, he was writing stories and poetry as a hobby. His first publication was a story in Dutch for the magazine De Stoep.{{cite news|url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?query=pierre+lauffer&coll=ddd&page=1&facets%5Bperiode%5D%5B%5D=2%7C20e_eeuw%7C1980-1989%7C1981%7C&identifier=ddd:010640680:mpeg21:a0019&resultsidentifier=ddd:010640680:mpeg21:a0019&rowid=1 |title=In Memoriam Pierre Laufer|website=Amigoe via Delpher.nl|date=15 June 1981|access-date=23 April 2021|language=nl}}
In 1944 Patria, his first poetry collection in Papiamentu, was published. It received a negative review from De Stoep who questioned the usefulness of a poetry book which a mere 100,000 people could read.{{cite web|url=https://www.hebban.nl/recensie/ezra-de-haan-over-pierre-lauffer |title=Zoeken naar onbereikbaar geluk|author=Ezra de Haan|website=Hebban|access-date=23 April 2021|language=nl}} In 1950, Lauffer co-founded the magazine Simadán written entirely in Papiamentu in order to compete with De Stoep.{{cite book|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/dhae007euro01_01/dhae007euro01_01_0007.php |title=Europa buitengaats|year=2002|author=Wim Rutgers| page=267|language=nl|location=Amsterdam|publisher=Bert Bakker|isbn=90-351-2397-2}} The magazine would only have three editions. In 1955, he published Kumbu with rhythmic poetry. It was the first publication of modernist poetry in Papiamentu with an emphasis on the emotional value of the words.{{cite web|url=https://werkgroepcaraibischeletteren.nl/vaderlandsliefde-en-melancholie-in-de-poezie-van-pierre-lauffer-iv-en-slot/ |title=Vaderlandsliefde en melancholie in de poëzie van Pierre Lauffer (IV en slot) |author=Henry Habibe|website=Werkgroep Caraibische Letteren|access-date=23 April 2021|language=nl}}
In 1964, Lauffer published Kantika pa Bientu for which he was awarded a prize by the Cultural Centre Curaçao. The publications were not a commercial success given the limited market,{{cite web|url=https://www.literairnederland.nl/recensie-bernadette-heiligers-pierre-lauffer/ |title=Biografie van Curaçaose dichter Pierre Lauffer |author=Albert Hogeweij|website=Literair Nederland|access-date=23 April 2021|language=nl}} and in 1965, Lauffer became an English school teacher. At the age of 47, he fell in love with an 18-year-old woman, and married for the second time. The marriage didn't last, and his poetry became more melancholic. In 1969, Lauffer was awarded the Cola Debrot Prize for his poetry.{{cite thesis|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/rutg014schr01_01/rutg014schr01_01_0036.php |title=Schrijven is zilver, spreken is goud|author=Wim Rutgers|year=1994|page=324|language=nl|publisher=University of Utrecht|isbn=9990492107}} In 1970, he became a Papiamentu teacher at the Pedagogical Academy.
In his later years, Lauffer started to write children's books in Papiamentu, because he felt that children were being neglected by the few Papiamentu writers.{{cite news|url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?query=Pierre+Lauffer&coll=ddd&identifier=ddd:010642336:mpeg21:a0138&resultsidentifier=ddd:010642336:mpeg21:a0138&rowid=4 |title=Lezing over Pierre Lauffer als nationale dichter|website=Amigoe via Delpher.nl|date=19 April 1990|access-date=23 April 2021|language=nl}} Lauffer died on 14 June 1981, at the age of 60.
Legacy
On 16 July 1981, Fundashon Pierre Lauffer was established in his honour to promote Papiamentu. The Premio Bienal Pierre Lauffer is a biannual prize for people who have earned merits for the advancement of Papiamentu.{{cite book|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/rutg014bene01_01/rutg014bene01_01_0035.php |page=332 |title=Beneden en boven de wind|author=Wim Rutgers|year=1996|location=Amsterdam|publisher=De Bezige Bij|isbn=90-234-3530-3}} In 1982, the Mgr Zwijssen College where Lauffer used to teach was renamed Kolegio Pierre Lauffer.{{cite news|url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?query=Kolegio+Pierre+Lauffer&coll=ddd&identifier=ddd:010640748:mpeg21:a0166&resultsidentifier=ddd:010640748:mpeg21:a0166&rowid=1 |title=Fundashon Pierre Laufer|website=Amigoe via Delpher.nl|access-date=23 April 2021|date=3 September 1982|language=pap}}
References
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Category:Place of birth missing