Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, Research library for hermetic philosophy at Keizersgracht, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica is a research library at Keizersgracht dedicated to hermetic philosophy. The building holds around 25,000 titles spanning different periods, including rare manuscripts and early printed editions from centuries past.
The library was founded in 1984 by Joost Ritman from his personal collection of rare books on ancient mysticism. His commitment to preserving these texts established an institution focused on exploring ancient spiritual knowledge.
The collection explores Christian-Hermetic traditions with texts on Rosicrucianism, alchemy, gnosis, Sufism, and Kabbalah. Visitors can trace these spiritual thought systems through the historical writings on display.
To access specific books, visitors should submit requests at least two weeks in advance. The reading room provides a supervised setting for studying these rare materials.
The collection received UNESCO Memory of the World status in 2022, officially recognized as world cultural heritage. This recognition underscores the collection's importance for preserving knowledge about spiritual and philosophical traditions.
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