Karel Jonckheere
Illustration — Karel Jonckheere in 1965 Karel Jonckheere as Carolus Joannes Baptista Jonckheere (Ostend, 9 April 1906 – Rijmenam, 13 December 1993) was a Flemish writer and critic. Widely traveled, he was inspired by his journeys for his poems and novels.
Karel Jonckheere

Joop van Bilsen for Anefo · Cropped from GaHetNa (Nationaal Archief NL) · CC0
- Born
- 1906 · Ostend.
- Died
- 1993 · Rijmenam.
- Nationality
- Belgium
- Occupation
- writer · poet · opinion journalist · literary scholar · literary critic · man of letters
- Fields
- Dutch literature
- Languages
- Dutch
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Illustration — Karel Jonckheere in 1965 Karel Jonckheere as Carolus Joannes Baptista Jonckheere (Ostend, 9 April 1906 – Rijmenam, 13 December 1993) was a Flemish writer and critic. Widely traveled, he was inspired by his journeys for his poems and novels.
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Note VALÉORINE
Karel Jonckheere (1906–1993) was a Belgian literary critic, literary scholar and man of letters, among other activities. Born in Ostend, the literary critic died in Rijmenam.
Karel Jonckheere was a member of Koninklijke Academie voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde. The literary critic was active in Dutch literature. Languages used include Dutch.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q980772 · wikipedia · Karel Jonckheere
In this article
Family origins and childhood
Family origins and childhood
Karel Jonckheere was born in Ostend in the fishing district, Kamiel Jonckheere and Victorine de Clercq. He went to school at the Royal Athenaeum in Ostend, where he attended the science high school (human sciences). Then he went to Ghent and attended the Reichstageable Normal School to become a teacher for secondary education in Germanic languages.
National Education
National Education
He began his professional career as a clerk in Ostend. In 1929, he began his teaching career, first at Gembloux High School, then in 1930, in Nieuwpoort and finally in 1944 in Ghent.
Belgian Ministry of the Interior
Belgian Ministry of the Interior
In 1945, he was secretary of the Belgian Minister of the Interior and the same year, director of Veurne State High School. In 1946 he was appointed inspector of public libraries. In 1953, he became an official at the Ministry of National Education and Culture.
Novels
Novels
• Brozens Anny (1932) • Cargo (1940) • Tierra caliente (1941) • Tita vlucht (1942) • De zevende haven (1942) • Steekspel met dubbelgangers (1944) • Kongo zonder buks of boy (1957) • Kongo met het blote oog (1958) • De vogels hebben het gezien (1968) • Oostende verteld (1970) • De man met de ruiker (1977) • Verbannen in het vaderland (1978)
Poems
Poems
• Proefvlucht (1933) • Het witte zeil (1935) • Gewijde grond (1937) • Klein testament (1938) • Conchita (1939) • Wat niet geneest (1943) • Onvoorzien programma (1944) • Avondbrieven (1946) • Spiegel der zee (1946) • Vloedlijn (1948) • De hondenwacht (1951) • Van zee tot schelp (1955) • Verzamelde poems (1956) • Ogentroost (1961) • Grenzen van papier en pijn (1963) • Roemeense suite (1965) • De ring van de boon (1966) • Ik had die man kunnen zijn (1969) • In de wandeling lichaam geheten (1969) • Poëtische inventaris (1973) • Mijn gouden leesboek ABC (1974) • Na-zicht (1976) • Miniaturen (1979) • Beatrijs (1980) • De overkant is hier (1981) • Was het maar bij deze woorden gebleven (1983) • Recht op da capo (1988)
Essay
Essay
• Bertus Aafjes, de dichter van de poëzie (1953) • Van kritiek gesproken (1955) • Poëzie en experiment (1956) • De poëziemuur doorbreken (1958) • De Vlaamse letteren vandaag (1958) • De literatuur van de Nederlanden in de moderne tijd (1959) • Raymond Brulez (1961) • Ondergang en dageraad (1966) • Een hart onder de dierenriem (1967) • De literatuur in België (1968 met Roger Bodart) • Leer mij ze kennen... de Vlamingen (1969) • Denkend aan de Nederlanden (1970) • In een anekdtoe betrapt (1971) • Toon mij hoe je schrijft (1972) • Omer K. de Laey (1976) • De Kongo van Floris Jespers (1984) • Herinneringen aan Ensor (1985)
Anthology
Anthology
• Poëzie is overal. Van bijbel tot eskimo (1960) • Gemini (1960) • Kongo het woord (1961) • Firmin Van Hecke (1962) • Uit het nest geroofd (1962) • Groot verzenboek voor al wie jong van hart is (1978) • Brevarium der Vlaamse lyriek (1979)
Others
Others
• Ik heb eens... (1962, radio reading) • Filter uw dag (1970, aphoristic prose) • De zwangere stopnaald (1972, aphoristic prose) • Waar plant ik mijn ezel (1974, autobiography) • Halve zolen en achterlappen (1974, aphoristic prose) • Boeketje Buysse, een levenschets en een bibliografisch overzicht (1974) • Mijn dochter wordt sirene (1976, autobiography) • Ook ik, zelfs gij, vooral wij (1976, quotes) • Van den vos Reynaerde (1979, adaptation) • De kroon en de muze (1991, article)
Career and activity
Career and activity
Karel Jonckheere worked in Dutch literature. He belonged to Koninklijke Academie voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde.
Identity
Identity
Karel Jonckheere is recorded as writer, poet, opinion journalist, literary scholar and literary critic.

Uitreiking van de Grote Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren aan dichter J.C. Bloem (1887-1966) in het Residence Palace te Brussel. Toespraak tijdens de prijsuitreiking, door Julien C. Kuypers. V.l.n.r: Karel Jonckheere, minister A. de Clerck, Julien Kuypers, Anton van Duinkerken (vertegenw. van J.C. Bloem), dhr. X (Jan Willem Schulte Nordholt?).
Joop van Bilsen (ANEFO) · GaHetNa (Nationaal Archief NL) 918-2867
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1906
Karel Jonckheere born at Ostend.
1993
Karel Jonckheere died at Rijmenam.
Places
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Places
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Ostend.
Birth place
Rijmenam.
Death place
Books
• Gedichten (1942) • De verwachte (story from Steekspel met dubbelgangers) (in Meesters der Nederlandse vertelkunst, 1949) • De kolibri fluistert: indiaanse sprookjes (1951) • Vertellen onder te toverboom: naar Maya-sprookjes (1953) • Nacht?, zei de zon, nooit van gehoord (1967) • Spaans schetsbroek: dertig coplas (1968) • Met Elisabeth naar de golf (1971, reisverhaal) • Sleutelbos op Gaston Burssens (1972) • Kinderen met de krekelstem (1976) • Vraag me geen leugens (1986) • Wuiven naar gisteren (1987) • Alice Nahon, schetsentoets bij haar beeld (1991) • Niemand moet me helpen sterven (maar eenieder mag me leren leven) (1992)
Primary material
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reference work
- “Karel Jonckheere”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q980772: Karel Jonckheere
General reference · Wikidata
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Cited by Wikipedia
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Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,427 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Karel GutAuthor
- Karel HartmannAuthor
- Karel Hynek MáchaAuthor
- Karel Jaromír ErbenAuthor
- Karel KašparAuthor
- Karel KonrádAuthor
- Karel KosikAuthor
- Karel Lodewijk LedeganckAuthor
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