Ode to Esther Ritman | A true Amsterdam woman, free-thinking, curious, inimitable

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A young girl born on Bloemgracht, Esther grew up in the footsteps of artists, entrepreneurs, dreamers, intellectuals, Rosicrucians and, above all, a family of free thinkers! From 1985-2021, Esther made a major contribution to unlocking the world-renowned heritage collection of 30,000 books on free thought in Europe, the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, collected by her father. She made it widely accessible in 2017 in the Embassy of the Free Mind she developed, a museum library for children aged 10 and above in a beautiful national monument at Keizersgracht 123.

What makes her so important? She lowered the threshold for not only Amsterdam residents, but for all Dutch people and anyone travelling through Amsterdam to test their curiosity and wisdom against that of philosophers, alchemists, artists, scientists and free thinkers of the past.

Her own curiosity always played the biggest role - she was and is curious about what moves people of all ages and backgrounds and more importantly, what each individual personally thinks. Any question a seeker/visitor asked was usually greeted with a grin and then a conversation or tour that made it clear that wisdom is not only in books but also in the universe, nature, the people around you and in yourself.

Anyone who has worked with her and can constantly exchange views with her becomes wiser. In the life books she now writes, she is still curious about the stories and life wisdom of others, and turns them into beautiful books. She is a truly Amsterdam woman, free-thinking, curious, inimitable. Someone I know we would all like to be like.

Ann Korijn