Ritman, Joost R.
Owner Id3150
TypePerson
GenderMale
Biographical dates - Period of existence1941 -
Other InformationFounder of Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam, recognized as part of Unesco: NL Memory of the World. The library bookplate is found in most of his incunabula.
The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica comprises early printed books, medieval manuscripts and post-medieval manuscripts belonging to the Hermetic tradition. These include a variety of traditions such as Gnosis, Mysticism, Alchemy, Rosicrucians, Kabbalah, Sufism, Anthroposophy, Freemasonry, Theosophy and works concerning the Holy Grail. In 2005 the Dutch state acquired a major part of the library. In 2010 the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica State collection was transferred to the National Library of the Netherlands. The other part remained the property of the founder and is located in the Embassy of the Free Mind, Amsterdam. In 2020 the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science decided to give the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica State collection on long-term loan to the Allard Pierson.
The founder Joost R. Ritman is an Amsterdam businessman with a profound interest in spirituality who began collecting rare books at the age of sixteen. His collection started in 1964, when he received a seventeenth-century copy of Jacob Böhme's Aurora as a birthday present from his mother. The German mystic Böhme is one of the authors who is a permanent source of inspiration for Ritman.
In 1984 Joost Ritman decided to transform his private collection into a library that was open to the public. His vision was to bring manuscripts and printed books in the field of the hermetic tradition under one roof and show the interplay between the several collecting areas.
His merits for the book world have been acknowledged with a number of awards. In addition to his love for his library, he has a wider commitment to the art and culture of his native city of Amsterdam. He has supported several cultural institutions, including the Jewish Historical Museum, De Nieuwe Kerk, the Hortus Botanicus, the Westerkerk, the Concertgebouw library and Ets Haim-Livraria Montezinos.
Other Identifierhttp://thesaurus.cerl.org/record/cnp01427920
Activity
Start (year)1981
End (year)2001
NoteMany of his incunabula were sold in two sales at Sotheby's, 6 December 2000 and 5 December 2001.
MARC Area Codee-ne
PlaceAmsterdam (Geonames Id: 2759793)
Profession / Type of InstitutionBusiness
CharacterisationNo characterisation/lay
Last Edit2023-07-19 08:17:22