Searching for the soul of the city
CityPoem 61 - Groningen
By Hans Karssenberg
01-01-2004 /views: 1002 in past 12 months.
A poem of 232 meter that is contributed to the public domain, only to be hidden just fragments later.
Photo: Kokjebalder
Groningen CityPoem: Nije brug Eibersburen, Jan Glas
Poet Jan Glas wrote his poem for the Nije brug (‘new bridge’). During the opening, he recited his poem, while the foil was taken off. Once the bridge is finished, his poem will be hidden from the public. It will then be a bridge to the future. Once, when the bridge will be torn down, people will rediscover his words.
The poem is written in the Groningen dialect (Groningen is the northern part of the Netherlands). Jan Glas may enter the Guiness Book of World Records, for it is the longest poem in the Groningen dialect ever. It has a total length of 232 meter.
There is now a residents group fighting for the poem to be public. Should it be? Or should it be something only older people will remember and whisper about?
Please find the entire text of this poem via this link.
Sadly, we do not have a translation into English. The poem describes the meaning of the channel it bridges, writes about the bridge itself and ends with the poem itself: “this is a greeting”.
About the author
Jan Glas (born in Uithuizen, The Netherlands, 1958) lives in the city of Groningen since 1977. He graduated as visual artist and is a poet. He writes in the Groningen dialect and is well known for this in the northern region of the Netherlands.
Jan Glas (born in Uithuizen, The Netherlands, 1958) lives in the city of Groningen since 1977. He graduated as visual artist and is a poet. He writes in the Groningen dialect and is well known for this in the northern region of the Netherlands.
photo Kokjebalder
Inspiring Cities Museum of CityPoems
Inspiring Cities has collected many citypoems over the years, as well as organized salons with citypoets and cities doing special projects. We have two criteria for what a citypoem is: the intention must be poetic, and it must be in the public realm of cities. Shapes, form and locations can and do differ.
The Museum of CityPoems has citypoems from cities all over the world. From Alhambra to Zonnebeke, from Taipei to Lima.
Got one yourself? Mail us your pictures (free of rights) and description, and we will publish.
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