A Life Shaped by Ink and Line

Born in Amsterdam in 1894 as Albert Pieter Dijkman, the man who would become known to many as Albert Hahn Jr. grew up within the quiet rhythms of a workshop. His biological father, a typographer, taught him the early discipline of the craft. While his family name was officially changed to Hahn Dijkman in 1922, his identity remained closely tied to the legacy of his stepfather, the cartoonist Albert Hahn. This connection brought with it a specific set of tools and a shared focus on the social currents of the time.

His hands learned the precision of decorative and linear drawing through formal study at the Quellinus School of Applied Arts. He held certificates in these disciplines from 1914 and 1916. Beyond the classroom, much of his technical development happened through observing the work of those around him. He eventually took on a role as an arts teacher, working at schools such as the MULO school and the Industrieschool van de Maatschappij voor de Werkende Stand from 1914 until 1948.

The Work of De Notenkraker

For much of his career, Hahn Jr. lived within the pages of the satirical weekly De Notenkraker. He joined the staff artist roster and remained a fixture there until 1936. His output was prolific, consisting of approximately 1,000 political prints. These drawings often used text comics to address the shifts in European politics, particularly the rise of the Nazi movement after 1933. Under the pseudonym A. Poussin—a name chosen as a nod to his stepfather, whose name meant rooster—he also contributed to De Nieuwe Amsterdammer.

His illustrations extended into the world of books and printed matter. He provided covers and internal drawings for several notable works, including:

• The illustrations for Tijl Uilenspiegel in 1927
• The 1929 edition of Legends of Christ by Selma Lagerlöf
• The 1931 version of Don Quichotte by Cervantes
• The 1931 publication of De Historie van Doctor Johannes Faustus

Social Commitments and Later Years

His pen often moved in service of the SDAP and various labor organizations. He designed posters, calendars, and brochures that spoke to the Dutch social-democratic movement between 1925 and 1935. His interests were not confined solely to the Netherlands; he felt a particular concern for the conditions of working-class children in Austria following the two World Wars. In 1921, he sketched their living situations, and later, his work helped facilitate the transport of Austrian children to the Netherlands.

As the decades passed, the landscape of political cartooning shifted. The disappearance of De Notenkraker in 1936 marked a period where his presence in the political press began to fade. He lived through the profound disillusionment of the Second World War, an era that left a mark on his later years. He passed away in Amsterdam in 1953.