Piet Hein

Biography

Piet Hein was born on December 16, 1905, in Copenhagen, Kingdom of Denmark. Throughout his life, he proved himself to be a scientist, writer, inventor, artist, and engineer. Hein was a mathematician, physicist, poet, designer, and arts figure. He was a direct descendant of Piet Hein the Elder, a 17th-century Dutch sailor and folk hero. Piet Hein gained his greatest recognition for creating short poetic aphorisms, which he called grooks. His work spanned numerous fields of knowledge and creativity, establishing him as a significant figure in Danish cultural life. Piet Hein passed away on April 17, 1996, in Middelfart.