5/5 Joe C. 8 years ago on Google • 9 reviews
Tucked
discreetly
away
in
a
non-descript
narrow
street
of
Amsterdam's
Jordaan
district,
this
amazing
library/museum
is
cloaked
in
the
inconspicuous,
low-key
charm
of
the
neighborhood;
small
stores
and
flats
shoulder
to
shoulder.
Without
the
small
brass
panel
near
the
door,
this
gem
of
a
library
would
be
nearly
impossible
to
find..perhaps
destiny
seeks
those
who
eventually
find
this
space.
This
magical
journey
begins
with
a
press
of
the
buzzer
and
the
automatic
door
opening
to
this
treasure
trove
of
ancient
illuminated,
theosophical/philosophical
and
alchemical
texts.
This
collection
represents
the
life-long
passion
of
Mr.
Joost
Ritman
a
local
businessman
and
Rosicrucian.
It
is
truly
a
national
treasure,
in
my
opinion
on
par
with
the
Rembrandts
of
the
nearby
Rijksmuseum.
So
who
might
find
this
museum
intriguing?
In
my
case,
my
interest
in
Carl
Jung's
idea
of
the
'Collective
Sub-conscious'
and
the
ancient
symbols,
archetypes
and
metaphors
common
to
us
all.
For
others
perhaps
an
interest
in
ancient
illuminated,
16th,
17th,
18th
century
texts.
Indeed
European
History
of
Philosophy
aficionados.
Those
with
an
interest
in
Dan
Brown's
books
or
Umberto
Eco
novels
might
find
the
library
particularly
intriguing.
On
the
other
hand,
this
library
is
in
my
opinion
not
for
large
groups
wishing
to
tick
the
box
on
places
visited
in
Amsterdam.
There
are
indeed
plenty
of
museums
to
accommodate
such
groups.
I'm
an
American
who's
lived
in
Amsterdam
for
nearly
13
years
and
only
recently
discovered
the
Ritman.
An
exceptional
find!
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