Bruin, Claas (1671-1732)
Claas Bruin, born 20 February 1671, often preached in the Amsterdam Bloemstraat Old Frisian church where his father was minister. He was himself never ordained, although he had great gifts in that field. Until his death (1732) he was a bookkeeper in a commercial firm.
In his youth his manifold talents were evident. He devoted himself especially to writing poetry. His first attempt was the "De Aardbeving" in 1692. He was also fond of using Bible stories. In 1724 he published Bijbelsche Tooneelpoëzy, containing "Abrahams Offerhande," "Sauls dood," "Davids gestrafte hoogmoed." Het leven van den Apostel Paulus, in dichtmaat afgebeelt, appeared in 1734 in Amsterdam. The best known of his numerous works are two travel books in poetry, Kleefsche en Zuid-Hollandsche Arkadia (Amsterdam, 1716) and Noordhollandsche Arkadia (Amsterdam, 1732). He may also be the Claas Bruin who wrote a poem under each of the pictures of Haemstede's Historie der Martelaren (Leiden, 1747). His poems were not particularly original or inspired, on the whole somewhat tedious, and their cumbersomeness will repel many a reader. But he was a skilled linguist, and as such is highly regarded by prominent men.
Bibliography
Bijdragen tot boeken- en menschen-kennis. Dordrecht, 1832-1836: II and III.
Catalogus der werken over de Doopsgezinden en hunne geschiedenis aanwezig in de bibliotheek der Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam. Amsterdam: J. H. de Bussy, 1919: 235.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 286.
Kalff, Gerrut. Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche letterkunde, 7 vols. The Hague, 1906-1912: v. V, 446-448, 512.
Molhuysen, P. C. and P. J. Blok. Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek, 10 vols. Leiden, 1911-1937: v. VI, 223. Available online at http://www.dbnl.org/titels/titel.php?id=molh003nieu00.
Wagenaar. Beschrijving van Amsterdam gevolgd, in eene geregelde Aauwyzing van de Sieraaden der publicke Gebouwen dier Stad zeer Dienstig voor ... Amsterdam, 1790.
| Author(s) | H. Westra |
|---|---|
| Nanne van der Zijpp | |
| Date Published | 1953 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Westra, H. and Nanne van der Zijpp. "Bruin, Claas (1671-1732)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bruin,_Claas_(1671-1732)&oldid=55184.
APA style
Westra, H. and Nanne van der Zijpp. (1953). Bruin, Claas (1671-1732). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bruin,_Claas_(1671-1732)&oldid=55184.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 450. All rights reserved.
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