Wednesday 14 August 2013

Louis Raemaekers - Dutch cartoonist of the First World War and Sydenham resident


Louis Raemaekers (born April 6, 1869 in Roermond, Netherlands – died July 26, 1956 in Scheveningen) was a Dutch painter and cartoonist for the Amsterdam Telegraaf newspaper during the First World War. He was perhaps, the best known propaganda cartoonist of the War. His graphic cartoons depicted the rule of the German military in Belgium, portrayed the Germans as barbarians and Kaiser Wilhelm II as an ally of Satan.

The German government offered a reward of 12,000 guilders for Raemaekers, dead or alive and forced the Dutch government to place him on trial for 'endangering Dutch neutrality'.  A jury acquitted him and he escaped to England. In December 1916 he was resident in Sydenham Hill Road in Sydenham. 

His work was published in The Times and he released a collection of cartoons – Raemaekers’ Cartoon History of the War - in 1919. His work was also exhibited across the country.


Raemaekers' Cartoon History of the War is available on Project Gutenberg

You can find out more about him at the following websites -
http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/raemaekers.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Raemaekers
http://louisraemaekers.com/

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