Biography

Maurice, Polydore, Marie, Bernard Maeterlinck was born in the parental home in the Peperstraat in Ghent, Belgium on August 29, 1862 at 8:30 in the morning.

Father Polydore Maeterlinck and mother Mathilde Van den Bossche gave him a carefree childhood in Ghent and in the summer on the estate in Oostakker. With his grandmother he played knight in the Rijvissche Castle in Zwijnaarde.

From 1897 Maurice stayed in France. Together with Georgette Leblanc, he lived in the Norman village of Gruchet Saint – Simeon.

In 1907 they moved to Fontenelle where they moved into the Abbey of Saint – Wandrille.

In 1911, Maurice received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

On February 15, 1919, he married Renée Dahon and 5 years later they bought the Castle of Médan as a summer identity.

In 1932 he was appointed Count by King Albert I.

At the beginning of WWII, the couple was forced to flee head over heels to Paris. They retreated to the marble temple of Orlamonde in Nice, France.

On May 6, 1949, Maurice died unexpectedly in Nice.

A year before his death, Maurice wrote down his own memories in the book

“Bulles Bleues – Souvenirs heureux“.

As the title suggests, he has focussed on his happy memories which has resulted in an easily readable and very amusing book with all kinds of details and fun anecdotes from the life of the person behind the writer.