Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica

The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica ( Ritman Library also JR ) is a public library open in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

It was founded in 1984 and originated from the private collection of Dutch Joost R. Ritman merchant. A focus of the collection besides alchemy and hermeticism is the Christian mysticism with particular attention to Meister Eckhart and Jacob Boehme, and writings of the Rosicrucians and the Manichaeans are part of the collection as well as anthroposophic and theosophical texts. The library now has more than 22,000 books: of which some 700 manuscripts, of which 85 are from the period before 1550, about 5000 books from before 1800 and around 17,000 books from the period after the 1800s.

In the Library exhibitions were shown several times. She has four employees. The library is the Ritman Research Institute and a publishing department connected. The Dutch psychologist Willem Levelt is a member of the " board " of the library.

Partnerships with other libraries

Through partnerships with other libraries multiple exhibitions were realized and originally Dutch books that had come through the Second World War to Russia, will be returned. In 1992, through the mediation of the Ritman library from the Russian " Rudomino Library for Foreign Literature " ( VGBIL ) book collections returned to the Netherlands, who had come through the Second World War to Russia. The returned books were exhibited in the University Library of Amsterdam University. Some books from this stock were returned to their owners. The library collaborated several more times with the Rudomino Library, 2006, a treaty on cooperation was signed. The library has hosted or co-hosted several meetings during the period of its existence.

Other European libraries, with which there is cooperation, the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel, the Laurentian Library in Florence and the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice.

Closed in 2010 and reopened in 2011

In December 2010, the library was initially closed since the Dutch Friesland Bank was arguing with the owner JRRitman for a loan of 15 million euros. Previously, the Dutch State had taken a stake of 40 % at the library and she explains to a Dutch heritage .. In December 2011, the library was reopened after the financial problems had been resolved, valuable, among other things by selling about 350 copies, mainly incunabula.

The Ritman library ( selection ) Fonts

  • Cis van Heertum ( Eds.): Libertas philosophandi. Spinoza as gids voor een vrije wereld. ( Asclepiusreeks 1). Amsterdam 2009 ( 1st ed 2008), ISBN 9,789,071,608,261th
  • Theodor Harmsen: The magic writer Gustav Meyrink, his friends and his work illuminates the basis of a tour of the collection of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Meyrink - Hermetica Amsterdam, using other collections ( Pimander. Texts and Studies published by the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica 17), Amsterdam 2009, ISBN 9,789,071,608,254th
  • Theodor Harmsen (ed.): Jacob Boehme's way into the world ( Pimander Texts and Studies published by the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica 16), Amsterdam 2007, ISBN 9,783,772,824,463th
  • Helen C. Wüstefeld, Anne S. Korteweg: Sleutel light dead. Getijdenboeken de Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in ( Asclepiusreeks 2), Amsterdam 2009, ISBN 978-90-71608-28-5.
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