Halbertsma Brothers

The Brothers Halbertsma were three brothers born in the Frisian village of Grou towards the end of the 18th century, who played a role of crucial importance for the development of a written literature in the Western Frisian language. These three brothers were:

Apart from these three writers, who are usually meant when speaking of the 'Brothers Halbertsma', there was a fourth brother, who did not produce any literary work:

The Brothers Halbertsma were all born in the house of their parents on Kowemerk ("Cow Market") street in Grou, a village in the central part of the Dutch province of Friesland. They were sons of the baker and small-time merchant Hidde Joasts Halbertsma (1756–1809) and his wife Ruerdtsje (or Riurtk) Tsjallings Binnerts (1767–1809). Two children who were born later died in early childhood, the little boy in 1803, and the little girl in 1805. Justus, Tsjalling and Eeltsje were much like their father, while Binnert more resembled their mother.

Ruerdtsje Binnerts was a scion of a prominent family in Grou. Her people were Mennonites, and although her husband had been raised a Calvinist, he converted after marrying her. From Justus' letters Ruerdtsje emerges as a smart businesswoman, a loving mother, and a deeply religious person. About Hidde Halbertsma, the father, much less is known. It is thought that he might have been a mariner before his marriage. He is described as a gentle soul, who was, however, apt to take offence, and could be quite sharp-tongued in such cases. In 1784, he published a long Dutch-language poem under the title Schrikkelijke IJsgang en Overstroominge in Gelderland ("Terrible Ice-drift and Flooding in Gelderland"). From this intriguing work it is clear that his sons' literary talents were a family trait.

The Brothers Halbertsma were very close, possibly as a consequence of the fact that both their parents died at a relatively young age in 1809, when Justus was just twenty years of age, Tsjalling seventeen, Binnert thirteen, and Eeltsje only eleven. Later, Justus and Eeltsje started to write short fiction and poetry which can be considered folk literature. As Justus acted as editor for Eeltsje's work for his entire life, their poetry and prose were strongly connected from the very beginning and for the most part published together. For that reason the linguist Foeke Buitenrust Hettema would later describe Halbertsma as the 'literary agent' of his brothers Eeltsje and Tsjalling.

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