Gerbrand Adriaenszoon Bredero was born on 16 March 1585 in
Amsterdam in the
Dutch Republic, where he lived his whole life. He called himself
"G.A. Bredero, Amstelredammer", and sometimes he is called
Breero or
Brederode. He was the third child of Marry Gerbrants and Adriaen Cornelisz Bredero, who was a
shoemaker and a successful
real estate agent. Bredero was born in the
Nes, nowadays number 41, and in 1602 he and his family moved to a house on
Oudezijds Voorburgwal, now number 244, which his father had bought. Bredero lived in this house for the rest of his life. Both houses are now restaurants in Amsterdam's famous red light district. At school Bredero learned
French and possibly also some
English and
Latin. Later he was educated as an artist by the
Antwerp painter
Francesco Badens, but none of his paintings have survived. In 1611 he became a member of the
rederijkerskamer ''d'Eglantier
, where he was an active member and became friends with Roemer Visscher and P.C.Hooft. Together with Hooft he joined Costers Nederduytsche Academie. Around this time he wrote the play "De Spaanschen Brabander Jerolimo"''. The only public position Bredero achieved was as
vaandrig or
standard bearer of the
civic guard. On 23 August 1618, at the age of 33, Bredero suddenly died, shortly after he had recovered from
pneumonia that he had contracted after falling through ice. He never married. ==Plays==