Brieven

Brieven (Dutch for letters) are written messages exchanged between individuals, organizations, or institutions, historically by hand on paper, later by typewritten or printed forms. They serve personal, professional, and ceremonial purposes, and can be part of a broader body of correspondence or epistolary literature.

Brieven derive from a Germanic linguistic tradition related to the word for a written message. The practice of letter writing grew with rising literacy and the development of organized postal systems, and Dutch-speaking regions developed conventions for structure, tone, and formality.

Common types include private letters, business correspondence, official or governmental letters, and ceremonial or religious communications; there is also epistolary fiction that uses letters to tell a story.

A typical letter includes a date and place, an aanhef (greeting), a body, and an afsluiting (closing), followed by a signature. Postal practice added addresses and stamps; in Dutch, examples of closings include Met vriendelijke groet or Hoogachtend. The format has influenced stationery, envelopes, and the organization of physical mail.

With the rise of telecommunication, email and messaging systems supplanted much of traditional correspondence while preserving the basic genre. Digital letters retain elements such as subject lines, salutations, and signatures, but archiving and privacy considerations have grown.

Letter collections are valued as primary sources in history and literature, revealing everyday life, language change, and social networks. National archives and libraries preserve brieven, sometimes in curated editions or annotated collections.

See also: Epistolary, Correspondence, Letter (communication).