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'Die moorderij op groote schaal': Stijn Streuvels' dagboek In Oorlogstijd

Tijdschriftbijdrage - Tijdschriftartikel

© S. De Schaepdrijver 2014. From March 1915 till February 1916, six rather small volumes of Streuvels' war journal In Oorlogstijd [In war time] were published by Veen in Amsterdam. They deal with the period from August (in fact July 29-30) till December 1914. In his journal, Streuvels wants to give an eye-witness account on what happens in his neighbourhood; he comments on the war as a historical event, on the absurdity of it, on patriotism and exaggerated heroism, on the half-hearted attitude of pope Benedict XV, etc. And he clearly makes a distinction between the Germans as occupiers of his country on the one hand, and the individual German on the other. At the publication of fragments of the journal in February 1915, and next of the complete journal of 1914 in de Veen-edition, a lot of reactions followed in the press, both positive and (mainly) negative. Especially the account of the accommodation of German officers in the 'Lijsternest' [thrush nest], Streuvels' house, and Streuvels' attitude against authorities, patriotism and heroism provoked a storm of indignation.
Tijdschrift: Verslagen en Mededelingen van de Koninklijke Academie voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde
ISSN: 0770-786X
Issue: 2
Volume: 124
Pagina's: 169 - 188
Jaar van publicatie:2014
Toegankelijkheid:Closed