Lou de Palingboer
Encyclopedia
Lou de Palingboer was the founder and figurehead of a new religious movement
in the Netherlands
.
Lou was born Louwrens Voorthuijzen in Breezand. He had a strong religious interest from an early age, probably under the influence of his devout father. He chose the profession of fisherman
. After a failed marriage he met Mien Wiertz and began to believe under her influence that he must save the world from the devil.
Voorthuijzen sold his boat and took up employment as an eel vendor at the Dappermarkt
in Amsterdam, where he became known as Lou de Palingboer (Lou the eel vendor). From his market stall, he preached to his customers that he was "the resurrected body of Jesus Christ". He would elaborate further in a nearby café. A circle of followers formed around him. In 1954, he began holding weekly meetings in the Frascati and De Brakke Grond theatres, where he captivated his audience with a mix of mystical language and down-to-earth humour.
In 1957, a rich supporter bought a large house in Muiderberg in the municipality Muiden
. They called the "White House", and lived in it communally. His followers believed him to be a God. According to Harry Mulisch
's Voer voor psychologen (Fodder for Psychologists), he claimed to be the author of the Bible. Some members of his group rejected medicine in favour of his blessing as a cure for ailment.
Around this time, Dutch society began to see them as a cult. Tensions frequently arose when one partner of a couple was not "in Lou" and the other one was. This resulted in a number of divorces in which Lou was summoned to testify, which he disliked. Lou moved to Agimont in the French-speaking part of Belgium
to avoid summonses of this kind.
After his death in Belgium, the movement seems to have dissipated. Wiertz, who moved to Spain, continues to have faith in him and there are a few other elderly believers left.
The group had never been particularly large but it attracted significant attention in the Dutch media.
New religious movement
A new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Lou was born Louwrens Voorthuijzen in Breezand. He had a strong religious interest from an early age, probably under the influence of his devout father. He chose the profession of fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
. After a failed marriage he met Mien Wiertz and began to believe under her influence that he must save the world from the devil.
Voorthuijzen sold his boat and took up employment as an eel vendor at the Dappermarkt
Dappermarkt
The Dappermarkt is a market in the Dapperstraat in Amsterdam-east and is one of the busiest markets of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.In 1910, the Dapperstraat was officially designated by the municipality of Amsterdam as a market street. The Dappermarkt draws visitors from the all over the Netherlands...
in Amsterdam, where he became known as Lou de Palingboer (Lou the eel vendor). From his market stall, he preached to his customers that he was "the resurrected body of Jesus Christ". He would elaborate further in a nearby café. A circle of followers formed around him. In 1954, he began holding weekly meetings in the Frascati and De Brakke Grond theatres, where he captivated his audience with a mix of mystical language and down-to-earth humour.
In 1957, a rich supporter bought a large house in Muiderberg in the municipality Muiden
Muiden
Muiden is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It lies at the mouth of the Vecht and is in an area called the Vechtstreek.-Population centres :...
. They called the "White House", and lived in it communally. His followers believed him to be a God. According to Harry Mulisch
Harry Mulisch
Harry Kurt Victor Mulisch was a Dutch author. He wrote more than 80 novels, plays, essays, poems and philosophical reflections. These have been translated into more than 20 languages....
's Voer voor psychologen (Fodder for Psychologists), he claimed to be the author of the Bible. Some members of his group rejected medicine in favour of his blessing as a cure for ailment.
Around this time, Dutch society began to see them as a cult. Tensions frequently arose when one partner of a couple was not "in Lou" and the other one was. This resulted in a number of divorces in which Lou was summoned to testify, which he disliked. Lou moved to Agimont in the French-speaking part of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to avoid summonses of this kind.
After his death in Belgium, the movement seems to have dissipated. Wiertz, who moved to Spain, continues to have faith in him and there are a few other elderly believers left.
The group had never been particularly large but it attracted significant attention in the Dutch media.