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.