Pieter Louwerse was born on January 23, 1840 at the Swiss Uusje on Middelburgsestraat in Oost-Souburg. Even as a child he was known as a born storyteller. The smithy, right across from where his bust now stands, was the place where young and old gathered to listen to the stories of "Mooi Pietje."

After the death of his father, the farming family ran into financial difficulties. Pieter was taken in by his uncle Arjaan Puijpe, a teacher from a well-known family of artists in Zeeland. Thanks to him, Pieter was able to continue studying and later became a teacher himself in Dirksland, Goes, Hazerswoude and The Hague, among other places.

In addition to his work as a teacher, Louwerse was an extraordinarily prolific writer. He wrote more than a hundred books, mostly historical children's books and poems. Well-known song lyrics by his hand are "Where the white top of the dunes" en "On the great silent moor". His most famous collection is "Everything sings. Songs and rhymes for the little people" (1878).

Despite his departure for The Hague, Louwerse remained connected to his native village. His work made an important contribution to Dutch children's literature and to the preservation of dialect and popular culture.

In 1908, Louwerse was tragically killed in a streetcar accident. In 1912 his bust was unveiled on Oranjeplein, made by his second cousin Pieter Puijpe. Present at the unveiling were his sister Magdalena, sister-in-law Pieternella and his son Jean Louwerse - known in France as a ceramist.

His books may be out of date, but for Souburg, "Mooi Pietje" remains a source of pride.