The rosary of Frederik van Eeden

The psychiatrist and writer Frederik van Eeden (1860–1932) followed a remarkable spiritual path. In his early writings, he was influenced by Hinduism, mysticism and panpsychism. He believed in the meaningfulness of dreams and engaged in spiritism. His views on society were strongly inspired by the utopian socialism of Henry Thoreau, which had led him to establishing the commune Walden, near Bussum. Van Eeden was also a founder of the Forte Kreis, an international group of intellectuals who had given themselves the task of saving the world from war. In the end of his life Van Eeden converted to Catholicism. Having a rather Messianistic personality himself, he chose to follow the Messiah.

Van Eeden's rosary, with which he was photographed on his deathbed, symbolizes his surrender to God. The rosary itself is inexpensive, plain, and therefore unattractive to exhibit. What is needed to present it in a way that visualizes its significance for the final stage of Van Eeden's spiritual Werdegang?

Written by: Klaas Hoek, Curator at Special Collections, University of Amsterdam