Bernard Tokkie archives

Collection description

Scope and content:: In this fonds we firstly note a folder containing manuscripts by Bernard Tokkie. In addition, we find correspondence addressed to Tokkie and to the Nederlandsch Lyrisch Toneel, as well as correspondence between third parties. Lastly, we point out the various documents collected by Tokkie such as manuscripts by authors, photos, posters, drawings and prints.

Administrative/biographical history:: Barend (‘Bernard’) Tokkie (1867-1942), born in Antwerp, had studied song at the Vlaamse Muziekschool and was one of the founders of the Nederlandsch Lyrisch Toneel (1893), the predecessor of the later Théâtre royal flamand d’Anvers. From 1907 until 1932 he remained attached to the (Koninklijke) Vlaamse Opera, as singer and director. Tokkie achieved fame as an opera singer, i.a. for his role as Falstaff and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte. He also played first violin in the Koninklijk Theater in Antwerp. Tokkie was a member of the Antwerp Jewish theatre group De Vriendenkring as well as of the choir of the synagogue in the Bouwmeesterstraat. In 1926 he became the director of the Joodse Theaterstudie. Bernard Tokkie was also a militant of the Flemish movement, i.a. in the Vlaamse Wacht. (J.-P. Schreiber, “Tokkie, Barend dit Bernard”, in J.-P. Schreiber, Dictionnaire biographique des Juifs de Belgique. Figures du judaïsme belge, XIXe-XXe siècles, Brussel, De Boeck, 2002, pp. 337.)

Subject terms:: Art; Art--Artists; Correspondence; Drawings; Literature; Literature--Novels, poetry, and plays; Manuscripts; Music; Music--Musicians; Photographs; Posters; Theatre

Finding aids:: The fonds is described in the Agrippa database of the Letterenhuis.