Michiel de Swaen
Michiel de Swaen (Dutch: [mɪˈçiˑl də ˈzβ̞aˑn]; 20 January 1654 – 3 May 1707) was a surgeon and a rhetorician from the Southern Netherlands.
Childhood, schooling and professional life
Michiel de Swaen studied at the college of the Jesuits in his native town, where he probably got a humanist education, acquired chiefly through theatre, as in those days theatre was the foundation of a pedagogical education. After six years of schooling - three of which with a surgeon and three at an unknown place - De Swaen settled in Dunkirk (Duinkerke) as a surgeon and barber, at the same time being committed to the literary life in this city. Although in those days there were already 14 surgeons active in Dunkirk, De Swaen must have found enough patients as he complained in an occasional poem about the limited time he could spend on poetry.
Historical and literary background
The occupation of Dunkirk
The 17th century was a decisive period in the history of the Low Countries and the events of that time also considerably affected De Swaen’s own life. While the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands witnessed its Golden Age, the Southern Netherlands suffered economic decline and the miseries of war. The once prospering port town of Antwerp started to decline as a metropolis and this to the benefit of towns and cities in the Dutch Republic, like Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht.
De Swaen
De Swaen can refer to
De Swaen (restaurant)
De Swaen is a former restaurant located in Oisterwijk, Netherlands. The fine dining restaurant was awarded one or more Michelin stars in the period 1981-1998. In the period 1984-1991 it was awarded 2 Michelin stars. The restaurant was awarded one star in the periods 1981-1983 and 2002-2003.
Overview
Hotel De Swaen opened in 1978 after a major renovation. Owner Henk Aan de Stegge decided to give the exploitation in the hands of John van Dun and his head chef Cas Spijkers. Soon Spijkers was joined by chef Piet Rutten. In 1980 Van Dun left and Piet Rutten was promoted to director and front of house manager while Spijkers headed the kitchen.
After Spijkers stepped back as head chef, the restaurant lost his star. In 2001 Alan Pearson took over the role as head chef and he managed to win the star back. It was not enough to save the restaurant and it closed in 2004. In 2006 De Swaen reopened as "Brasserie De Swaen".
Controversy
In 2005, author Ronald Giphart published the book Troost. Giphart claimed that Cas Spijkers and De Swaen were his models for this book. Cas Spijkers was very surprised to hear that he was responsible for the demise of De Swaen, because he left there a few years before they lost their stars.
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