{{short description|Curaçao writer and poet}} {{Infobox person | name = Pierre Lauffer | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Pierre Antoine Lauffer<ref name="jstor">{{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}}</ref> | 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<ref name="overlijden">{{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}}</ref> | nationality = | other_names = | occupation = Writer and poet | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = ''Kumbu'' (1955)<br/>''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.<ref name="jstor"/><ref name="unlimited">{{cite web|url=https://www.writersunlimited.nl/en/participant/pierre-lauffer-ensemble |title=Pierre Lauffer Ensemble |website=Writers Unlimited|access-date=23 April 2021}}</ref><ref name="nationaal">{{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}}</ref><ref name="prenten">{{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}}</ref>
==Biography== Lauffer was born on 22 August 1920 as Pierre Antoine Lauffer.<ref name="jstor"/> 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.<ref name="nationaal"/> His first publication was a story in Dutch for the magazine ''De Stoep''.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref name="hebban">{{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}}</ref> In 1950, Lauffer co-founded the magazine ''Simadán'' written entirely in Papiamentu in order to compete with ''De Stoep''.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The magazine would only have three editions. In 1955, he published ''Kumbu''<ref name="hebban"/> with rhythmic poetry.<ref name="nationaal"/> It was the first publication of modernist poetry in Papiamentu with an emphasis on the emotional value of the words.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In 1964, Lauffer published ''Kantika pa Bientu'' for which he was awarded a prize by the Cultural Centre Curaçao.<ref name="hebban"/> The publications were not a commercial success given the limited market,<ref name="literair">{{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}}</ref> and in 1965, Lauffer became an English school teacher.<ref name="nationaal"/> 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.<ref name="literair"/> In 1969, Lauffer was awarded the Cola Debrot Prize for his poetry.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1970, he became a Papiamentu teacher at the Pedagogical Academy.<ref name="nationaal"/>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Lauffer died on 14 June 1981, at the age of 60.<ref name="overlijden"/>
==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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1982, the Mgr Zwijssen College where Lauffer used to teach was renamed Kolegio Pierre Lauffer.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lauffer, Pierre}} Category:1920 births Category:1981 deaths Category:Place of birth missing Category:Curaçaoan educators Category:Curaçaoan writers Category:Curaçaoan poets Category:Curaçaoan children's writers Category:Papiamento-language writers