Andreas Burnier

Andreas Burnier
Born Catharina Irma Dessaur
(1931-07-03)July 3, 1931
Den Haag
Netherlands
Died September 18, 2002(2002-09-18) (aged 71)
Amsterdam
Netherlands
Occupation criminologist
writer
Language Dutch
Genre novel, short stories, essay

Andreas Burnier, born Catharina Irma Dessaur (July 3, 1931 – September 18, 2002), was a Dutch writer.[1][2] Burnier has published poetry, lectures, books, and articles, many of which address homosexuality, in order to emphasize women's problems in a male-dominated society.[3]

Early life

Burnier was born Catharina Irma Dessaur in The Hague, The Netherlands to Jewish parents Salomon Dessaur and Rosa Louisa Jacobs.[2][4] Like many other Jewish children in Europe, she went into hiding during World War II,[5] and was separated from her parents for three years (1942–1945), hiding in sixteen different locations under the alias Ronnie van Dijk.[4] During her time in hiding, Burnier became aware of the lack of rights that women experience in a male-dominated society and began to feel like she was a boy trapped in a girl's body.[3]

Education

After the war, Burnier studied medicine and philosophy in Amsterdam; however, she never finished her studies.[6] In 1961, Burnier began to study philosophy in Leiden in South Holland and later graduated cum laude.[4] Post-graduation, she received her PhD in criminology.[4]

Criminology

From 1973-1988, Burnier was a criminology professor at the University of Nijmegen.[6] Prior to this, she worked with the Ministry of CRM and the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology in Leiden.[6]

Literary debut

Burnier debuted in the literary magazine Tirade with her story "Verschrikkingen van het Noorden" (The Horrors of the North).[4][6] Along with assuming a new name as a writer, Burnier also assumed the opposite gender.[6] In 1965, she published her first novel Een tevreden lach (A Contented Laugh).[7] In it she wrote about her homosexuality, a topic that had not been previously breached in Dutch literature.[4] This novel was well received by critics who praised its original structural elements.[3] She followed this work with a collection of short stories entitled De verschrikkingen van het noorden (The Horrors of the North) in 1967 and a novel Het jongensuur (The boys' hour) in 1969, supplementing this work with a series of poetry, book reviews and articles.[7]

Feminism and activism

Burnier was also a pioneer during the second feminist wave, often writing about the inborn misfortune of having a female body.[4] Many of her works are intended to encourage women to take their place in society and fight for their rights.[3] Dessaur saw feminism as a positive force for remaking civilization. She was an outspoken defender of gay rights and opposed to abortion and euthanasia.[7]

Personal life

In 1953, Burnier married Johannes Emanuel Zeijlmans van Emmichoven[2] and had two children with him.[4] About eight years later, in 1961, Burnier and Zeijlmans filed for divorce.[4] During the time that Burnier was getting her PhD, Burnier met her first female romantic partner; they were together for 17 years.[4] Beginning in 1983, she had a relationship with Ineke van Mourik.[2] Burnier died in Amsterdam at the age of 71.[2]

Works

Her works include:[1]

Biography

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Auteurs." Andreas Burnier · Dbnl. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Dessaur, Catharina Irma (1931-2002)". Online Dictionary of Dutch Women (in Dutch).
  3. 1 2 3 4 Katharina M. Wilson. (1991). An Encyclopedia of Continental Women Writers. Taylor & Francis. pp. 310-311. ISBN 978-0-8240-8547-6 Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Biografie." Andreas Burnier. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
  5. ↑ Liska, Vivian; Nolden, Thomas (2007). Contemporary Jewish Writing in Europe: A Guide. pp. 44–45. ISBN 0253000076.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Andreas Burnier (1931-2002) Biografie." Andreas Burnier Biografie. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 Wilson, Katharina M; Schlueter, Paul; Schlueter, June (2013). Women Writers of Great Britain and Europe: An Encyclopedia. pp. 116–17. ISBN 1135616701.
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