Johan Michiel Dautzenberg

Who was Johan Michiel Dautzenberg?

Johan Michiel Dautzenberg was a Belgian writer. Professionally he was successively secretary, clerk, teacher, private teacher, and bookkeeper.

He wrote poems on nature, songs, novels, poems concerning the Flemish movement. According to August Vermeylen, he was the first consciously Flemish writer. With his "Beknopte prosodie der Nederduitsche taal, he tried to convince his fellow poets to return to the classical metrics of poetry. His work shows a strong German literary influence, and he translated Loverkens of Hoffmann von Fallersleben.

In 1850 his first work appeared ‘’’Gedichten’’’, and a literature study called ‘’’Beknopte Prosodia der Nederduitsche Taal’’’. Many poems, songs, and literature studies followed, including an ode to miners. In 1857, he, together with some friends, started the teachers-journal ‘’’de Toekomst’’’.

He translated the Odes of Horatius, which were published in 1923. In 1857, he founded the illustrated magazine "De Toekomst", a magazine for teachers. A collection of his poems was published in 1869, after his death, by his son-in-law Frans de Cort as Verspreide en nagelaten gedichten'.