Pierre Chretien De Geyter (also known as Pierre Chrétien Degeyter) (Ghent, Belgium, 8 October 1848 – Saint-Denis, France, 26 September 1932) was a socialist (who later became a communist) and a composer, known for writing the music of The Internationale.
Pierre De Geyter's parents were originally from the Dutch-speaking part of France, French Flanders. They later moved to Ghent to work in the textile factories. When he was seven, the family, who ...
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Pierre Chretien De Geyter (also known as Pierre Chrétien Degeyter) (Ghent, Belgium, 8 October 1848 – Saint-Denis, France, 26 September 1932) was a socialist (who later became a communist) and a composer, known for writing the music of The Internationale.
Pierre De Geyter's parents were originally from the Dutch-speaking part of France, French Flanders. They later moved to Ghent to work in the textile factories. When he was seven, the family, who already counted five children, returned to France and settled in Lille. Pierre worked there as a thread maker and learned how to read and write at workers' evening classes. At age sixteen, he enrolled at the Lille Academy where he first took drawing classes, which allowed him to find a job as a woodcarver. He later took music classes, and joined the workers' choir "La Lyre des Travailleurs", founded by the socialist leader of Lille, Gustave Delory.
On 15 July 1888, Delory contacted De Geyter to compose music for several "Chants...
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