“De Mestreechteneer”, a poem by Bèr Essers

How are we to define a true inhabitant of Maastricht or “Mestreechteneer“? The following poem by the Maastricht poet Bèr Essers (31 August 1926 – 28 October 1995) reveals all:

“De Mestreechteneer“

When God – with quite a joyful cheer
thought out the Mestreechteneer
He said: this will be a work of creation
that will give myself great satisfaction;
I will give him, as my most important gift
a complete understanding of the art to live.
The Greek, the Roman, they were nice little results
but now I will make something with a real spiritual impuls.
He took two spoonfuls of humour, two spoonfuls of cultural desire,
a bit bonhomie, and quite some southern fire
He also added a handful of charity
and a barrowful feeling for relativity.
But in the kernel of the soul he carefully made
an undestructible foundation of deepest faith
And as a counterweight against all ism’s:
a coffeecup of honest chauvinism!
He mixed it well in his heavenly mixer
till it became a life-elixir.
A bit of beer he put into it, and some Limburg cheese portions,
half a bottle of Els: the result was of pleasing proportions!
Because, when He started his sculpturing up there,
and fumbled together the Mestreechteneer …..
Well, it’s true, the first one, he stood there, a little bit swaying
and the second quarrelled with the third, instead of some praying
But also, there-after, the most beautiful sounds
in song and music rang through the Heavenly grounds.

And as Jesus thought: it’s enough, I did fine
he put them all on a transportline
And singing they emigrated, filled with hope
to the most beautiful spot on our globe.
So came this bunch, after a long row,
in a place, later called Mestreech, as you know
And the angel who led them and showed them the way
said: if you promise me one thing: forever I will stay:
Guard in your heart the charity
keep in your spirit the relativity
and celebrate these two things each year three days long
with esprit and pleasure, with music and a song
Then I will guarantee you all
that this festivity, which is called Carnival
will turn your city into the paradise of all places
where for three days long, the colourful storm raves!

Translation: Mr Wim Fischer (former president of the carnival association De Tempeleers)

Who was Bèr Essers?
According to himself and to his friends, Bèr Essers was a true “Mestreechteneer” (inhabitant of Maastricht in the dialect of Maastricht).

Bèr adored his native city of Maastricht and its people. In everything he did, his friends and acquaintances saw him as the perfect example of what he thought God had in mind when he created the “Mestreechteneer”: “two spoonfuls of humour, two spoonfuls of cultural desire, a bit of bonhommie, and quite some southern fire, [...]
an undestructible foundation of deepest faith [..] and a coffeecup of honest chauvinism”. (Source: “De Mestreechteneer” by Bèr Essers)

Bèr admitted himself that his coffeecup regularly got over flooded. Yet he would always point out: “Are we to blame if we are better?” (“Kinne veer get draon doen tot veer beter zien?“)

In 1964 Bèr was elected Carnival Prince of Maastricht and after that he became more and more involved in activities to preserve and stimulate the folklore of the province of Limburg and especially of the city of Maastricht.

Bèr joined the carnival association “De Tempeleers” , eventually serving as Chief Master of Ceremony (“opperceremoniemeister“).

His most important role in this function was that of “teaser of the authorities” (“otoriteitetoeker“) during the farcical ceremony on the Saturday before carnival when the Mayor of Maastricht hands over the key of the city to the Carnival Prince.

As “teaser of the authorities” Bèr would stand up in public against decisions or actions taken by the mayor of Maastricht, city councilors and civil servants. Obviously, everything was done in a carnivalesque way and on behalf of the “carnival goers of Maastricht” (“vastelaovendvierders vaan Mestreech“).

In 1969 Bèr was awarded the title of Doctor Humoris Causa by the so-called “Narren-Universiteit Limburg” (NUL) where he became professor in 1973. The NUL was an initiative of some Limburgers as a hint for the establishment of a real university in Maastricht. Bèr used this opportunity to spread the ideology behind carnival and Limburg folklore on a quasi-scientific level.

It is no wonder that Bèr’s passion for Maastricht and its dialect led him to be one of the founding fathers in 1979 of the Maastricht branch (Krink-Mestreech) of the Limburg Veldeke association, named after the famous Limburg poet Henric van Veldeke. He was a member of the association for the following 16 years, the last six years of which as its president.

In 1983 Bèr created a Maastricht version of the Dutch reading board (“leesplankje” in Dutch or “leesplenkske” in dialect). This “leesplenkske vaan de Mestreechter Taol” is still popular among the people of Maastricht, and often sold as a gift or souvenir.

As president of the Veldeke Krink Mestreech, Bèr also created two study books about the Maastricht dialect: “rij-star-tele of veters?” (“rijstartele” is the dialect word for the Dutch word “veters“, in English “laces”) and “Speu-len-tere Spelle” (“spelend spellen” in Dutch, or “Having fun with spelling”). These books were meant for people who wanted to learn or improve their knowledge of the Maastricht dialect.

In his last employment as information officer at the department of Public Works in Maastricht, one of Bèr’s tasks was to promote “his” city to people from all over the world. One could not have hoped for a better person for the job.

Bèr described the spirit of Maastricht or “Mestreechter Geis” as an art of living, “to live and let live”.

As for the native inhabitants of Maastricht, Bèr would define them as follows: “Bring together a bunch of “Hollenders” (people outside the province of Limburg) together in a cosy atmosphere and you get a serious “conversation group” (“gespreksgroep“) or, even worse, an “action group” (“actiegroep“). Put a bunch of Maastricht people together with a serious intention and the result is the scenario for a comic opera.”

Bèr Essers wrote many poems in the Maastricht dialect, in which he expressed his love or concerns for his beloved city and its dialect. “De Mestreechteneer” is his most famous poem.

Source: Bèr Essers, Mestreechteneer, a publication by Veldeke Krink Mestreech

Text and translation: Marleen Vara

Acknowledgements:
Crossroads and Marleen Vara would extend special thanks to Mr Wim Fisher, who allowed us to use his English translation of the poem by Bèr Essers, Mr Bert Beenkens for lending us the book “Bèr Essers, Mestreechteneer”, and to the Veldeke Krink Mestreech association, who gave us permission to use the photographs of Bèr Essers.

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The original version of the poem is in dialect:

De Mestreechteneer

Wie Slivvenhier mèt väöl plezeer,
ziech oetdach de Mestreechteneer.
Toen zag heer: dit weurd ’ne mins,
boeste zellef plezeer mèt höbbe kins.
Dee geef iech mèt es groete guns,
e manjefiek stök leevenskuns.
De Griek, de Romein, dat waor e sjoen stökske werrek,
meh noe maak iech get mèt ’n ech geistesmerrek.
Heer naom 2 sjöpkes humor, 2 sjöpkes cultuur,
get bonhommie en väöl zuidelek vuur.
Daobeij ouch nog ’n hamfel sjariteit, e
n ’n krowkaar geveul veur betrèkkelekheid.
Meh in de pit vaan de ziel kaom ’n flinke snowf,
vaan neet kepot te kriege deep gelowf.
En es teegewiech teege alle -isme,
’n koffietas ierlek chauvinisme.
Dat mingde heer toen in ’nen hiemelse mikser,
hiel good doorein tot e levens-elikser.
Ouch get beer deeg Heer drin en get rommedoe,
en ’n haaf fleske Eels: ’t rizzeltaot dat waor zoe !
Want wie de Maan vaan hei-boove daonao gong boetseere,
en ineinfisternölde: Mestreechteneere ……….
Toen stoont wel d’n ierste e bitsje te sjeigele,
en d’n twiede begos mèt d’n derde te vreigele.
Meh ouch kloonk daonao de sjoenste meziek,
in zaank en klaank door ’t hiemels riek.
En wie Slivvenhier dach: noe höb iech ’rs zat,
toen heet heer die op d’n transportband gezat.
En zingenteere woord toen geëmigreerd,
nao ’t sjoenste plekske op dees eerd.
Dus kaom deen trôp, nao lange weeg,
terech in wat noe hèt: Mestreech!
En d’n Ingel dee hun de weeg aongaof,
dee zag: iech blijf bij Uuch es geer ein dink belaof:
Bewaor in eur hart de sjariteit,
in eure geis de zin veur betrèkkelekheid.
En vier die twie zaake eeder jaor, drèi daog laank,
mèt esprit en plezeer, mèt meziek en zaank.
Daan geef iech Uuch es garantie mèt,
tot dat fees, wat “Vastelaovend” hèt.
Eur stad maak tot e paradies aon de Maos,
es dao drèi daog de boonte störrem raos.