author
Lieve van Ollefen
1749–1816
Best known for an ambitious multi-volume portrait of Dutch towns and villages, this 18th-century Amsterdam writer left behind a rich snapshot of local life. He also worked as an illustrator and produced a large amount of writing for publishers.
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About the author
Born in Amsterdam on October 13, 1749, and dying there on June 16, 1816, Lieve van Ollefen was a Dutch writer and illustrator. Modern reference pages consistently link him with the large historical-geographical work De Nederlandsche stad- en dorpbeschrijver, the best-known project associated with his name.
That series, issued in multiple volumes in the 1790s and early 1800s, describes Dutch cities, towns, and villages in lively detail. Because of that work, he is often remembered less as a novelist or poet than as a practical, industrious man of letters who helped preserve a picture of everyday places and regional history.
Older biographical sources describe him as a highly productive professional writer who often worked on commission for publishers and booksellers. Even in that modest role, his writing remains valuable today for readers interested in the Dutch Republic, local history, and the texture of life in the late eighteenth century.