Faculty of Humanities
University of Amsterdam
Faculty of Humanities
University of Amsterdam
Faculty of Humanities
University of Amsterdam
The world-famous Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (BPH), also known as The Ritman Library, is situated in the Embassy of the Free Mind (EFM) and is an indispensable resource for students of esotericism. Over the years, the BPH and the HHP Centre have enjoyed a close and collaborative relationship. With the BPH’s new profile of “Hermetically Open,” and HHP’s commitment to furthering education and research in the field of esotericism, collaboration between the library and the research centre at the Embassy of the Free Mind has already proved fruitful. In 2013 we began recording a series of webinar lectures under the title “Infinite Fire,” which can be viewed here.
In November 2018, the EFM participated for the first time in Amsterdam’s Museum Night, staying open late into the night, with MA students creating an Alchemical Beast Hunt game for the hundreds of visitors and giving presentations on alchemical and magical material in the BPH collection.
From June-November 2019 the Embassy of the Free Mind curated its first exhibition, “Kabbalah & Alchemy,” based on scholarly research by Peter Forshaw and curator Cis van Heertum, with books and manuscripts in the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica. That July, the EFM hosted the welcome reception for ESSWE7, the seventh international conference of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism, organised by HHP.
In November 2019 the EFM again opened for Museum Night; this time with a popular alchemical cocktail bar and more presentations by Masters students on themes ranging from Chaos and Darkness to the Body and Light.
In 2018 and 2020 the EFM hosted day-long student conferences for the Research MA course “Nature and the Supernatural”. In 2021 they host a two-day international conference, “Esotericism and the Varieties of Transformation” (July 2021) organized by Research MA students L. Faith Pramuk and Misha Kakabadze.
In early 2020 Dr Stephen Clucas from Birkbeck, University of London, Senior Vossius Fellow, ran a reading group with Peter Forshaw on John Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica (1564).
In 2021, the EFM had two interns, Pauline Duijndam and Kelly Willersen, students on the MA in Museum Studies. They created a Virtual Alchemical Treasure Hunt, which is now available online. Together with other MA and RMA students (most notably Corey Andrews and Jason Hooijberg) they have also recorded and edited videos to promote this project as well as introduce ‘Teaching by Images’. Students will also be researching and presenting short videos on various aspects of alchemy for the Alchemy Room.
The Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry (SHAC) has offered to support further events at the Embassy of the Free Mind. In Autumn 2021 they funded a workshop on Alchemy and Rosicrucian, co-organized by RMA student Corey Andrews and in 2022 a workshop on Freemasonry and Alchemy, co-organized by RMA student Tjalling Janssen.
In recent years HHP has successfully supported applications for Junior and Senior Vossius Fellowships offered by the University of Amsterdam. As well as speaking at the Vossius Seminar, each fellow has contributed to the life of the EFM-HHP, by helping with research, giving a public lecture, or holding a reading group (most recently, Dr Stephen Clucas and Peter ran a reading group on John Dee’s Monas Hieroglyphica (1564).
In November 2020 the state-owned part of the BPH was transferred to the Special Collections section at Allard Pierson. Allard Pierson is now also party to the collaboration between the HHP Centre and BPH.
Stay tuned for updates!
We thank the BPH and the Embassy of the Free Mind for permission to use imagery from their collections on this website.
Visiting adress:
Bushuis/Oost-Indisch Huis
Kloveniersburgwal 48
1012 CX AmsterdamThe Netherlands
Postal adress:
Postbus 1622
1000BP Amsterdam
T: +31 (0)20 525 3571
E: hermetica-fgw@uva.nl
For all general information:
Ms. Antoinette Rutten (secretary)
The Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP) is part of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam. We are committed to the highest standards of critical academic scholarship, independent of any worldview.
Visiting adress:
Bushuis / Oost-Indisch Huis
Kloveniersburgwal 481012 CX AmsterdamThe Netherlands
Postal adress:
Postbus 1622
1000BP Amsterdam
Email: hermetica-fgw@uva.nl
The Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP) is part of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam. We are committed to the highest standards of critical academic scholarship, independent of any worldview.
Visiting adress:
Bushuis / Oost-Indisch Huis
Kloveniersburgwal 481012 CX AmsterdamThe Netherlands
Postal adress:
Postbus 1622
1000BP Amsterdam
Email: hermetica-fgw@uva.nl
The Centre for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents (HHP) is part of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam. We are committed to the highest standards of critical academic scholarship, independent of any worldview.
Visiting adress:
Bushuis / Oost-Indisch Huis
Kloveniersburgwal 481012 CX AmsterdamThe Netherlands
Postal adress:
Postbus 1622
1000BP Amsterdam
Email: hermetica-fgw@uva.nl
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