The Letterenhuis ("House of Literature") is a Belgian non-profit organization located in Antwerp. The Letterenhuis collects and archives information of Flemish artists, musicians, and writers, as well as portraits concerning Flemish culture as from 1750. The Letterenhuis fulfills two tasks: on the one hand it is an archiving and documentation centre and on the other hand it is a museum. The most interesting part of its collection are the manuscripts of famous Belgian authors like Hendrik Conscience, Willem Elsschot and the contemporary writer Tom Lanoye. In 2012 the Letterenhuis featured a theme exhibition about Louis Paul Boon to honor his one hundredth birth year.
The organization was founded in 1933 as the Museum van de Vlaamsche Letterkunde ("Museum of Flemish Literature"). The collection was based on the Conscience-archive and the legacy. Just after World War II the name was changed into Archief en Museum voor het Vlaamse Cultuurleven ("Archive and Museum for the Flemish Cultural Life"). In 2002, the name was changed into the present Letterenhuis. The Letterenhuis moved into its present location in 1958, which is located adjacent to its original location in the Minderbroedersstraat. Since 2004 the Letterenhuis is acknowledged as the cultural archive for the Flemish literary heritage.
The Letterenhuis contains a huge archive of manuscripts, notes, diaries, etc. These objects are complemented by biographies about Flemish authors and scientific publications about their works. The museum also draws the attention to the writing process and the way literature is received by critics and the public. The emphasis of the exhibitions is on contemporary literature, starting from 1950.
| Year | Theme | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Leeuwen van Vlaanderen | Exhibition about the start of modern Flemish literature, with Hendrik Conscience's De leeuw van Vlaanderen as initial point. | |
| 2003 | 'Expo 'Eindelijk! Lanoye genaaid, gebonden & in leer' | Exhibition focussing on the bibliophilic editions of Lanoye's novels; a crossing between literature and art. | |
| 2003 | Godfried Bomans, de fluwelen duivel | Exhibition about Godfried Bomans' archive | |
| 2005 | Jeroen Brouwers | Exhibition about Jeroen Brouwers' archive | |
| 2006 | Verre horizonten | Exhibition about the way authors push boundaries between cultures and people. The focus is on five authors and their connection with a certain country or city. | |
| 2008 | Installatie van Johan van Geluwe | Johan van Geluwe reflects about 75 years Letterenhuis | |
| 2009 | Dooreman naar de letter | Exhibition about graphic artist Gert Dooreman | |
| 2010 | Dicht bij Elsschot | Exhibition about Willem Elsschot | |
| 2012 | Vila Isengrimus | Exhibition about Louis Paul Boon | |
| 2013 | HAUSER.Expo. Een multimediaal epos | Exhibition about Kaspar Hauser, who was an inspiration for poets and | |
| 2014 | Verre vrienden. Brieven van buitenlandse schrijvers | Contacts between Flemish and foreign authors and artists | |
| 2015 | De Beukelaer's Fabrieken | Photos, film and objects from 1925 and 2015 of and the archives of De Beukelaer | |
| 2015-16 | On the Job for Victory | World War I posters of the United States | |
| 2016-17 | Escaut! Escaut | A literairy journey on the Scheldt | |
| 2017-18 | Hugo Claus | The archives of Hugo Claus | |