author
E. (Eduard) Gerdes
1821–1898
A prolific Dutch writer for young readers, he paired lively historical storytelling with a strong evangelical voice. He is still remembered for children’s books and for the hymn text "Daar ruist langs de wolken," which remained widely known in Protestant circles.
1 Audiobook
Jonker Willem van Arkel
by E. (Eduard) Gerdes
About the author
Born in Kleve on August 12, 1821, and later active in the Netherlands, Eduard Gerdes worked as an evangelist and became a well-known writer for young people. He eventually settled in Doetinchem, where he spent much of his later life and died on December 12, 1898.
Gerdes wrote a large number of Protestant-Christian children’s books, often historical tales, and was among the more popular Dutch juvenile authors of the second half of the nineteenth century. His stories frequently drew on episodes from Dutch history, especially the era of the Reformation and the Eighty Years’ War, combining adventure with clear moral and religious purpose.
He is also remembered as a lyric writer. For many readers and churchgoers, his name is most closely linked with the hymn beginning "Daar ruist langs de wolken een liefelijke Naam," which helped keep his work alive long after his lifetime.