About the collections
The roots of what is known as Hermeticism can be traced to the writings of Plato and the works attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. The central idea that the entire universe, including man, is an emanation of the divine, is an inspiration within magic, alchemy, astrology, Kabbalah, Christian mysticism, Rosicrucians, Theosophy and Freemasonry. These philosophical schools and movements have exerted a great but sometimes historically underexplored cultural influence.
In 2020, the State Collection of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica was added to the Allard Pierson collection as a long-term loan, making Hermetic philosophy a new focus in the collection. The State Collection of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica is a unique collection of circa 4,400 rare manuscripts and printed works from the Hermetic tradition in Europe up to circa 1900. This collection was amassed by Joost Ritman and acquired by the Dutch State in 2005. The Embassy of the Free Mind houses the other part of the collection owned by Joost Ritman. The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica as a whole was awarded special ‘Memory of the World’ status by UNESCO Netherlands in November 2022
Highlights
- State Collection of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica
- Palmistry archives of Philip Meerloo, Phyllis Jaarsma and Julius Spier
Searching the collections
This collection is accessible through the online Catalogue. One hundred of the approximately 400 manuscripts are available in the image bank.
Contact person
- Gwendolyn Verbraak
Curator of church history and esotericism
Send and e-mail: g.m.verbraak@uva.nl
UvA profile: To the UvA staff page
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