Fedde Schurer

Vocation

Notable

Dutch and Frisian writer, poet, translator, journalist and politician who made ground breaking contributions to the Frisian culture. Schurer was born in a Frisian speaking working family: his father Bouke was a shipyard labourer and his mother a maidservant. After visiting the elementary school Schurer worked as a junior carpenter, but in the evening hours he studied to become a school teacher (1917-1919). His first job as a teacher was at the reformed school in Lemmer (1919-1930), the same school he visited as a boy. Here he also met the school teacher Willy de Vries, whom he married 1 July 1924. They got no children, but they adopted a son. In 1919 Schurer became member of the Kristlik Frysk Selskip (Christian Frisian Club), that strived to translate Christian liturgy and the bible into the Frisian language to enable Frisians to worship services in their mother language. Here he published his first poems. His first bundle "Fersen" (songs) came out in 1925. In the twenties Schurer developed a more pacifistic and liberal view on Christianity, which brought him in conflict with the board of his "Gereformeerde" Calvinistic school (1929). He changed his religion to the less dogmatic and more socialistic "hersteld verband" under the influence of Karl Barth and the socialistic theologian Jan Buskes (b.16 Sept 1899). In 1930 he was dismissed as a teacher and went to Amsterdam. He taught on secular schools and went in 1935 into provincial politics with the slogan "No Führer, but Schurer". He translated the poetry of Heinrich Heine into the Frisian language and also wrote illegal anti Nazi poetry during the war. For this he was awarded in 1945 with a state prize for resistance poetry. After the WW2 he became editor in chief of the Heerenveense Koerier, later renamed to De Friesche Koerier, a local newspaper. He was a promotor of the use of the Frisian language in public arena and edited and published in cultural periodicals in the Frisian language . As the charismatic chief editor of the Friesche Koerier he wrote a fierce article about the "childish, insulting and bullying" Dutch speaking judge Wolthers who forced a Frisian veterinary to speak Dutch in court. When Schurer himself was called to court in Leeuwarden (16 Nov 1951) for his provocative article, fights between the police and Frisian demonstrators broke out. The incident known as “Kneppelfreed” (‘Truncheon Friday’) revived the language conflict in the Province of Friesland and confirmed his Dutch secret service (BVD) reputation as being a Socratic "Talentvol en gevaarlijk spreker, vooral gevaarlijk voor jonge menschen.." (talented and dangerous speaker, especially dangerous for young people). He got a suspended sentence of 2 weeks prison, with a probation period of three years. After the sentence a Frisian crowd took him as a fighter for press freedom and Frisian rights on their shoulders. On higher court appeal (march 1952) the sentence was changed to a fine of 150 Guilders or 30 days detention. From 1 March 1956 to 1 Augustus 1963 Schurer was a member of the Dutch parliament for the socialistic Partij van de Arbeid. He was part of the small pacifistic stream that was opposed to Nato atomic bombs. He died unexpectedly 19 March 1968 at Heerenveen. In 1969 his autobiography "De Bisleine Spegel" (the steamed up mirror) was published. Link to Dutch wikipedia