The 1982 novel The Assault propelled Harry Mulisch into international recognition, eventually serving as the basis for a motion picture that secured both a Golden Globe and an Oscar. As a defining figure of postwar Dutch literature, he belonged to the so-called Great Three, a group of writers who transformed the cultural landscape of the Netherlands.
Formative Years and the War
Born in Haarlem on 29 July 1927, Harry Kurt Victor Mulisch experienced a childhood deeply marked by the Second World War. His father, a native of Austria-Hungary, maintained employment at a German bank that handled confiscated Jewish assets during the occupation. While Mulisch and his Jewish mother, Alice Schwarz, avoided deportation, his maternal grandmother perished in a gas chamber. Raised largely by his housemaid, Frieda Falk, Mulisch later maintained that he did not simply write about the conflict; he was the war itself.
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Mulisch authored more than 80 works, including novels, plays, poetry, and philosophical essays. His output includes The Stone Bridal Bed, The Procedure, and Siegfried. His most celebrated work, the 1992 novel The Discovery of Heaven, was voted the greatest Dutch book ever written in a 2007 poll. His influence extended across borders, with his writing translated into 38 languages. He received the Dutch Literature Prize in 1995 and the International Nonino Prize in 2007.
Political Engagement and Themes
Themes of history, Jewish mysticism, and Greek mythology frequently appeared in his prose. His coverage of the Eichmann trial in Israel during 1961 led to the publication of the reportage Criminal Case 40/61 in 1962. Politically left-wing, Mulisch once dedicated a book to Fidel Castro. Throughout his career, he remained a prominent public voice in Amsterdam, where he resided from 1958 until his passing in 2010.
Fast facts
- Born: 29 July 1927, Haarlem
- Died: 30 October 2010, Amsterdam
- Primary Languages: Dutch
- Notable Work: The Discovery of Heaven
- Key Recognition: Dutch Literature Prize (1995)
- Resting Place: Zorgvlied
- Burial Date: Not stated
- Total Works: Over 80
Questions readers ask
Was Harry Mulisch ever a Nobel laureate?
No, although he was frequently mentioned as a potential future recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Who were the Great Three in Dutch literature?
The group consisted of Harry Mulisch, Willem Frederik Hermans, and Gerard Reve.
Achievements
- Constantijn Huygens Prize — 1977
- Libris Literature Prize — 1999
- Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany — 2002
- Dutch Literature Prize — 1995
- Ferdinand Bordewijk Prize — 1963
- Notable work: The Assault
- Notable work: The Discovery of Heaven
- Notable work: The Stone Bridal Bed
- Notable work: The Procedure