Willem Frederik Hermans was a Dutch author of poetry, novels, short stories, plays, as well as book-length studies, essays, and literary criticism. His most famous works are The House of Refuge, The Darkroom of Damocles, and Beyond Sleep.
From 1929 until 1 October 1945 Willem Frederik Hermans lived on the top floor and two rooms on the ceiling with his sister Cornelia (1918-1940) and parents. Mr. and Mrs. Hermans lived there until they both died in the 1960s.
The University of Groningen is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is the second oldest in the country and one of the most traditional and prestigious universities in the Netherlands.