A. C. Baantjer
Albert Cornelis "Appie" Baantjer, born on September 19, 1923, in Urk, Netherlands, is a renowned Dutch author and former police officer, best known for his crime novels featuring the character Inspector De Cock. Raised in a strict Calvinist household, Baantjer experienced the hardships of World War II, including forced labor in Germany. After the war, he joined the Amsterdam police force, where he worked for 38 years, eventually becoming a homicide inspector. His writing career began in the early 1960s, and he published over 1,200 crime stories, with a notable annual novel release that continued into the late 1980s.
Baantjer's De Cock series, featuring the detective's insightful investigations alongside his partner Dick Vledder, has captivated audiences with its engaging narratives set against the backdrop of Amsterdam's evolving landscape. The series has sold over six million copies and has been adapted into a successful television series and a film. Recognized for his contributions to literature, Baantjer received the Society of Dutch-Language Crime Writers' Master Prize in 2003 and was knighted by the Dutch monarchy in 2005. His works, which have been translated into numerous languages, reflect his background in law enforcement and offer a unique perspective on crime and society in the Netherlands.
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A. C. Baantjer
Author
- Born: September 19, 1923
- Birthplace: Urk, near Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Died: August 29, 2010
- Place of death: Netherlands
Biography
Albert Cornelis “Appie” Baantjer was born September 19, 1923, on the island of Urk, near Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His father was a fisherman and his mother a homemaker. In the mid-1920’s, the family moved to the Dutch capital, where Mrs. Baantjer educated her son according to strict Calvinist traditions, liberally quoting Bible verses and making certain her young son religiously attended Sunday school and church.
During World War II, Baantjer, along with many able-bodied fellow countrymen and others from overrun nations, was forced to work in Germany under the Nazi regime. Upon his release from involuntary servitude after the end of the war, he returned home, applied for work with the Amsterdam police department, and was hired. In 1953, he began studying to take exams to qualify as a detective. Three years later, as a homicide inspector, he was assigned to the picturesque, canal-laced Warmoesstraat district, notorious for prostitution and petty crime. Baantjer remained with the police force for thirty-eight years, until his retirement in 1983.
In the early 1960’s, Baantjer began writing, drawing upon his extensive law enforcement experience for background in the first of more than 1,200 published crime-flavored short stories (some published under the pseudonym Bram Braker). His first novel appeared in 1963, and thereafter he produced a new novel annually until the 1980’s, when he doubled his novel-writing pace.
A. C. Baantjer’s most famous creation is the character De Cock (called DeKok in English-speaking countries to avoid erroneous sexual connotations). A crusty older detective with the Amsterdam Municipal Police Force, De Cock works with young partner Dick Vledder to solve murders and other crimes. The patient, insightful, introspective Inspector De Cock (whose cases are described in books with titles that usually begin “De Cock and the.. . “) has been compared to Georges Simenon’s character Maigret, but the former is as uniquely Dutch as Maigret is uniquely French.
The short (maximum 140 pages), brisk, twisty tales have made A.C. Baantjer Holland’s most popular author. The stories are told in simple but authoritative language, and peppered with street colloquialisms and sharp observations that chronicle Amsterdam’s changing landscape. The more than sixty entries in the De Cock series have sold over six million copies of his books. A Dutch television series featuring the detective has been running since the 1990’s; the author himself has made guest appearances. A Dutch movie was made from one of his novels. His books have been translated into virtually every European language, as well as Chinese and Korean.
Baantjer, who has also written two memoirs of his law-enforcement experiences, was honored in 2003 with the first Society of Dutch-Language Crime Writers’ Master Prize. In 2005, the Dutch monarchy knighted him for lifetime achievements. Both are fitting tributes to the man who has infused his policeman’s expertise into a captivating fictional crime-fighter who treads Amsterdam’s mean streets to the delight of millions.