Portrait Mystery Olterdissen
Who was Fons Olterdissen?
Alphonse Victor (Fons) Olterdissen (1865–1923) was a writer, poet, playwright, and composer from Maastricht who played a major role in preserving the Maastricht dialect and culture. The final song of his operetta Trijn de Begijn later became the official anthem of Maastricht.
Olterdissen grew up during a time when Maastricht was developing a strong local identity. He had broad cultural interests and wrote plays and poetry, often in the Maastricht dialect. His work is characterized by a loving, sometimes humorous view of the city and its traditions
Portrait of Fons Olterdissen (1893, photographed by Th. Weijnen)
Theatre and Culture
As a director and writer, often in collaboration with his brother Guus Olterdissen, he created plays with strong ties to Maastricht. Two of his plays, “Trijn de Begijn” and “De Kaptein vaan Köpenick”, were performed entirely in dialect. For the “Heiligdomsvaart” (a Maastricht religious festival once every seven years) of 1916, he wrote the “Sint-Servaasspel”, which was performed by 600 actors in the Vrijthof square, depicting the life of Saint Servatius, patron saint of the city. More photos of this special play can be seen in the Pilgrimage to Maastricht exhibition.
Aside from his literary work, Olterdissen founded the cultural association “Maastricht Vooruit”, which organized carnival celebrations, historical parades, and events to promote Maastricht as a cultural hub. These activities were also a great source of entertainment and enjoyment for the people of Maastricht.
Through his works about the city, its culture, and identity, as well as his use of the local dialect, Olterdissen became an important figure in Maastricht. Even today, his writings are still read, and his plays continue to be performed.
The Sint-Servaasspel during the 1916 Heiligdomsvaart, written and directed by Fons Olterdissen.
Visual Arts
Many people are unaware of Olterdissen’s work as a visual artist. This is understandable, as he focused mainly on writing later in life. However, he did have a background in the visual arts: he studied at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam before returning to Maastricht, where he attempted to establish the Patronaatstekenschool (a drawing school). Unfortunately, the school was not successful, and Olterdissen dedicated his life to writing operettas, books, and poetry instead.
Despite this, he created a number of book illustrations and paintings. As of 2025, his paintings are difficult to find, and it is unclear how many he actually produced. The Bonnefanten Museum owns two of his works: a portrait of an elderly man with a gray beard and a floral still life.
Twee Herenportretten (1890), Alphonse Victor Olterdissen [oil on canvas]. Bonnefanten Maastricht.
The Maastricht Museum recently acquired the portrait that is displayed right in front of you. It was long believed to be a self-portrait, but after further research this seems unlikely, photographs of Olterdissen in this time look very different from our mystery man. Our curators are working hard to solve the mystery of this portrait. For Museumnight, we are displaying it for a special preview—perhaps you can help us uncover who this mysterious man is and how best to preserve such an old portrait!
Legacy
Olterdissen’s impact on Maastricht was significant. His written works and plays remain an important part of the city’s cultural history. De Kaptein vaan Köpenick is still performed a century later, and nearly every citizen of Maastricht knows the anthem from Trijn de Begijn.
In 1962, a statue was erected in his honour in the Grote Looiersstraat, near the Maastricht Natural History Museum. If you're exploring Museumnight, you might come across it!