Foudraine in Alpbach, the place where he started writing Not Made of Wood

 'I was interested in people, not in diseases. I don't meet patients, I meet people.'
Jan Foudraine (1929 – 2016)

On February 27, Marijke Foudraine-Kranenburg will donate a unique wooden copy of the famous ‘Not made of wood’, the widely translated bestseller by her late husband, progressive psychiatrist and psychotherapist Jan Foudraine, to our collection.

A book made of wood, but with a warm and beating heart.

The unique copy comes to Museum Dr. Guislain.

‘Not made of wood’ (1971) passionately advocates a social, more humane approach to psychiatric patients. A psychosocial approach like 'our' Jozef Guislain also envisioned in his time. To this day, it remains a passionate plea that is praised, reviled and honored, and is more topical than ever.

We are not hopeless, nor are we made of wood. That is why we would like to celebrate with you this special enrichment of our collection. And not just with you.

PROGRAM
(This event is in Dutch)

27.02 at 2pm (20€)
About the book and its author
Jim van Os (UMC - Utrecht)
Stijn Vanheule (Ugent)
Marijke Foudraine

27.02 at 8pm (5€)
About writing, creation & therapy
Paul Verhaege (psychologist and author)
Connie Palmen (author)

‘If the book has taught me anything, it is that so-called mental illnesses are exacerbations of all of us as human beings.’
Erwin Mortier, curator of A Home of One’s Own

'The future is serious, but if you want to learn something from Foudraine, it is this: he is never hopeless.'
Paul Verhaeghe

'Since its publication, the book has opened the eyes of psychologists, social workers, healthcare professionals, but also masses of committed readers, to the deep humanity in psychiatry.'
Bart Marius, artistic director of Museum Dr. Guislain

'I opposed the labeling of people with difficulties... I believed that terms such as 'neurotic', 'psychotic', 'schizophrenic', 'psychopathic', 'manic-depressive' and God-knows-what other labels in any case had nothing to do with a mysterious disease nor with anything hereditary.' Jan Foudraine