Collections online

Albert Verwey (1865–1937) began his literary career as a spokesperson for an idealist generation and ended it as a widely respected professor. As a poet, critic, editor of literary journals, and literary scholar, Verwey played a significant role in the cultural life of his time. His literary legacy was transferred on loan to the city council of Amsterdam in 1944. The material was then entrusted to the University Library of Amsterdam (UBA). In 1983, the UBA became the owner of the collection, which is now managed by the Allard Pierson. Albert Verwey was in close contact with numerous other prominent figures, and so  the collection not only provides insight into his life and work but also into the culture and society of which he was a part. The Memory of the Netherlands presents a selection of manuscripts, letters, photographs, and publications.

Go to the image bank of Albert Verwey 

Frederik van Eeden (1860-1932) was a writer, psychiatrist, and social reformer. He combined literary talent and leadership ambitions with social ideals. He also possessed a strong spiritual inclination.

Frederik van Eeden was a compelling figure who attracted both devoted followers and fierce opponents. His work is still read today, and his plans and ideas inspired both contemporaries and later generations.

Van Eeden's life, work, and personality are reflected in his own publications and in numerous studies about him. He is most prominently represented in the collection of the Frederik van Eeden Society, which is managed by Special Collections. A selection from this collection was made for The Memory of the Netherlands databank.

Go to the image bank of Frederik van Eeden 

The Iconographia Zoologica is a nineteenth-century collection of zoological illustrations and is preserved in the Artis Library, which is part of Special Collections.
The Iconographia Zoologica was created when various collections were merged in the library of the Zoological Society Natura Artis Magistra during the years 1881–1883. The illustrations were systematically arranged according to the classification of the animal kingdom that was in use at the time, as a result of which the then state of zoological science is permanently documented. Its scope and organization award the Iconographia Zoologica great cultural and scientific historical value.

In addition to drawings, the Iconographia Zoologica mainly contains prints, produced with various printing techniques and often hand-coloured. They originate from zoological publications dating from the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Together, these prints and drawings form a unique paper database of over 26,500 illustrations. Nearly all of them have been included in Wikimedia Commons.

Go to the image bank of Iconographia Zoologica 

Menasseh Ben Israel (1604-1657) was a Portuguese Jewish scholar, writer, diplomat and printer in Amsterdam.
In 1626 Menasseh founded his own printing house in Amsterdam. This made him one of the first in the Netherlands to print books in Hebrew. His circle of friends included Vossius, Barlaeus, Hugo de Groot and Rembrandt.

With 70 items, the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana boasts  a virtually complete collection of Menasseh editions  (some 75 were printed in all). In addition to these printed works, the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana owns six autographs. These are rare because hardly any of Menasseh's letters have survived. The collection also includes a portrait of Menasseh engraved in copper by Salomon Italia, and an etching by Rembrandt. There is as yet no scholarly consensus on the identity of the sitter in Rembrandt's etching that was long presumed to be Menasseh.

Go to the Menasseh Ben Israel image bank (currently down)

‘Max Havelaar, or the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company’ was published in May 1860. The book created a furore and is considered the epitome of Dutch literature.
Max Havelaar exposed Dutch colonial practices in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) in novel form for the first time and brought Multatuli, the pseudonym of former colonial civil servant Eduard Douwes Dekker, instant fame and notoriety. In the years that followed, he evolved into a kind of national conscience. He addressed a wide range of societal, political, and social issues in his writings.

The Memory of the Netherlands presents a selection of documents, letters, and photographs, mainly from around the time Max Havelaar was written. They are part of Allard Pierson’s Multatuli collection and are on loan from the Multatuli Society.

Go to the image bank of Multatuli