Jan Fabricius (born Assen 1871, died Wimborne Minster, England, 1964)
was a Dutch playwright and journalist. He was the father of Johan
Fabricius, a writer. Although he wrote continuously from the 1890s to
his death, his greatest period of success was during 1904-1916, when
his plays sold out theatres in Rotterdam and were translated into
multiple languages.[1] During the height of his popularity he was
considered by the Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch-Indië to be the
leading Dutch playwright writing plays set in the Indies.[2]Jan grew
up in what his son described as very simple circumstances, as the only
son in a family with four daughters.[3] His father was named Johan
Fabricius.[3] As a youth he worked to learn the French language and
hoped to live in Paris.[4]At the age of fifteen, Fabricius began to
work as a letter-setter at the newspaper his father worked for, the
Provinciale Drentsche en Asser Courant in Drenthe, Netherlands.[5]
Jan's first writing experience was when the paper allowed him to write
coverage of the Winschoten local council meetings.[3] In 1892 he left
Europe for Batavia, Dutch East Indies. He obtained a position at Van
Dorp & Co., a large printing company there.[3] In 1896 he relocated to
Bandung where he became involved in bookselling and publishing
alongside Klaas de Vries, and founded the newspaper De
Preangerbode.[6][7] At this time he also brought over his wife from
the Netherlands, Minke Donsweiffen.[3]In 1902 Fabricius was diagnosed
with liver disease and was forced to return to the Netherlands.[7] He
settled in Haarlem and became head editor of De Wereldkroniek and De
Spaarnebode.[8] While living there he met the actor Frits Bouwmeester,
brother of the more famous Louis Bouwmeester, who convinced him to
start writing plays.[8]
was a Dutch playwright and journalist. He was the father of Johan
Fabricius, a writer. Although he wrote continuously from the 1890s to
his death, his greatest period of success was during 1904-1916, when
his plays sold out theatres in Rotterdam and were translated into
multiple languages.[1] During the height of his popularity he was
considered by the Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch-Indië to be the
leading Dutch playwright writing plays set in the Indies.[2]Jan grew
up in what his son described as very simple circumstances, as the only
son in a family with four daughters.[3] His father was named Johan
Fabricius.[3] As a youth he worked to learn the French language and
hoped to live in Paris.[4]At the age of fifteen, Fabricius began to
work as a letter-setter at the newspaper his father worked for, the
Provinciale Drentsche en Asser Courant in Drenthe, Netherlands.[5]
Jan's first writing experience was when the paper allowed him to write
coverage of the Winschoten local council meetings.[3] In 1892 he left
Europe for Batavia, Dutch East Indies. He obtained a position at Van
Dorp & Co., a large printing company there.[3] In 1896 he relocated to
Bandung where he became involved in bookselling and publishing
alongside Klaas de Vries, and founded the newspaper De
Preangerbode.[6][7] At this time he also brought over his wife from
the Netherlands, Minke Donsweiffen.[3]In 1902 Fabricius was diagnosed
with liver disease and was forced to return to the Netherlands.[7] He
settled in Haarlem and became head editor of De Wereldkroniek and De
Spaarnebode.[8] While living there he met the actor Frits Bouwmeester,
brother of the more famous Louis Bouwmeester, who convinced him to
start writing plays.[8]
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