Science, Magic, Alchemy, Hermeticism, and Tolerance in the Books of the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica

Introduction
The seeker of the Philosopher’s Stone, the astrologer studying the heavens, the magus striving to understand nature’s hidden forces, and the philosopher writing about the origins of the All—despite their differing goals, they share the same mission: to contemplate the world and what it means to be human. Over the past two millennia, this pursuit has given rise to a wealth of spiritual and philosophical traditions, many of which converge in the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (BPH), the living heart of the Embassy of the Free Mind.
Thinkers from these traditions often found themselves at odds with religious and political authorities, risking not only the survival of their writings but also their own lives. Nevertheless, they had the courage to uphold their ideas, leaving a profound mark on the development of philosophy and science in Europe.
The exhibition The Limits of Knowledge showcases key themes from the research of Dr. Carlos Gilly, emeritus librarian and scholar of the BPH. For decades, Gilly has studied the history of the Rosicrucians, a movement that emerged in the early 17th century advocating social and religious reform. Yet his perspective, as well as that of the BPH, extends far beyond this: their focus spans two thousand years of intellectual history in Europe, from the Hermetic-Christian gnosis of late antiquity to the role of magic, alchemy, and science in the early modern period. Central to Gilly’s research are figures who fought for intellectual freedom, with Miguel Servet as a key exemplar.
This exhibition was first displayed from October 15, 2024, to January 10, 2025, at the renowned Biblioteca Pública Arús in Barcelona, a library similarly dedicated to the free exchange of ideas. It marked the BPH’s debut in Spain with an exhibition that attracted a large audience. We are now honored to present it at the Embassy of the Free Mind.

Carlos Gilly: A Scholar of Two Thousand Years of Intellectual History The exhibition Freedom of Conscience! Thinking, Believing and Investigating in Europe, 1500–1800 presents some of the most relevant themes in the research of historian and bibliographer Carlos Gilly. His work focuses on dissident Spanish culture outside Spain and on the radical cultural and religious movements in Europe that came into conflict with scientific and religious orthodoxy in the 16th and 17th centuries. Dr. Carlos Gilly’s academic career began in a remarkable way: in his very first semester at the University of Basel, his professor Werner Kaegi proposed the topic for his dissertation. As a Spanish immigrant in Switzerland, Gilly initially intended to study the history of Spanish political exiles in the 19th century. Kaegi persuaded him to shift his focus to the 16th century and to the publication of Spanish books outside of Spain. The result was Spanien und der Basler Buchdruck bis 1600, presented as his Habilitationsschrift—a panorama of Spanish culture and spirituality as it spread beyond Spain. This includes writings by Arabic, Jewish, and Christian authors from the Iberian Peninsula, as well as books on medicine, magic, Kabbalah, and alchemy (especially by the “great three Catalans”: Pseudo-Ramon Llull, Pseudo-Arnau de Vilanova, and Pseudo-Joan de Peratallada). It also includes works by dissident humanists and outspoken heretics published in Basel. At the heart of this study are the stories of individuals who managed to escape the clutches of the Inquisition and the conflicts with the new orthodoxies that emerged from the Reformation. From 1996 to 2004, Gilly taught courses at the University of Basel on cultural currents such as Hermeticism, magic, Kabbalah, Christian Gnosis, and alchemy, and their inevitable overlap with heterodox radical movements. These movements, marginalized by churches and universities, often influenced one another, thereby reinforcing critiques of ecclesiastical and scientific repression and strengthening hopes for reform. He subsequently focused his research on two main areas: “magic” (Hermeticism, Paracelsianism, and the Rosicrucian movement), and “heresy or dissenting religious views” within the churches that emerged from the Protestant Reformation. From 1985 to 2008, Gilly served as research librarian at the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (BPH), which since 2017 has formed the heart of the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam. This position offered him a unique opportunity to search through libraries across almost all of Europe for rare editions and unpublished manuscripts from the Hermetic, magical, alchemical, Paracelsian, and Gnostic traditions—especially writings on the Rosicrucians and their tumultuous history. The outcome of this research has been shaped in exhibitions and conferences organized by the BPH—not only in Amsterdam, but also in Moscow, Wolfenbüttel, Florence, and Venice. He has published widely in academic journals and in the Pimander series of the BPH’s publishing house In de Pelikaan. His works include studies on Paracelsus, Johann Arndt, Jacob Böhme, Baruch Spinoza, and Adam Haslmayr. In this way, Gilly’s research spans two thousand years of intellectual history in Europe—from Hermetic-Christian Gnosis in the early centuries of our era to the role of magic, alchemy, and science in modernity. Central to his work are the defenders of free thought, with Michael Servetus as a key figure. Gilly is currently preparing a critical edition of the 1487 Spanish translation of the Pimander—a treatise attributed to the Egyptian sage Hermes Trismegistus—and working on the completion of his bibliography of the Rosicrucians.

The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica The roots of the future lie in the past. At the end of 2024, we will take an important step forward with our exhibition in Barcelona, but the BPH has been active for decades, organising exhibitions and conferences both in the Netherlands and abroad—Florence, Moscow, Wolfenbüttel, and closer to home: The Hague, at the National Library. When Joost Ritman opened his unique collection of books and manuscripts to the public in 1984, he launched a movement that, by 2025, has only grown more urgent. Our exhibition Freedom of Conscience! presents the roots of that movement: the books that have been the subject of over forty years of scholarly research. At the same time, it serves as a prelude to a larger exhibition about the “Monument to Free Thought”: the Huis met de Hoofden (House with the Heads), which houses the BPH. That exhibition will look ahead precisely by allowing the past to speak. Its central focus is the “big bang” not the one from billions of years ago, but the explosion that occurred when in 1572 William of Orange and the States of Holland and Zeeland took the first steps toward independence. The importance of that moment can hardly be overstated: it was in 1572 that the seeds were sown for modern Europe. Without Orange, there would be no Spinoza, no Locke. It was the Dutch Republic of the Seven United Provinces that, in the centuries to come, offered writers and thinkers a stage for their ideas. Freedom to believe what you wish, to say what you think, to be who you are, that was the cause championed by Orange and his allies. In its early stages, this alliance included all the provinces of the Netherlands, with Antwerp as its focal point. There, merchants like the Perez brothers, Jews who had converted to Christianity, supported the widow and children of Sebastian Castellio after his death and offered King Philip millions in exchange for freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. Philip rejected the offer, setting in motion a revolt that would, among much else, turn Amsterdam into the most powerful city in the world. Antwerpers fled north en masse, transforming the Republic in the process. Among them was Christophe Plantin, who founded a printing house in Leiden and gave a decisive impulse to Dutch book culture. When Joost Ritman, José Bouman, and the author of these lines visited the Plantin Museum, it was more than a gesture of courtesy. We discussed loans, but also Plantin’s role as the greatest publisher in Europe. Thanks to him and his descendants, Dutch printers became the most important book producers of the seventeenth century. The roots of the BPH reach beyond the Dutch Republic. They go back thousands of years and draw on sources from around the globe. The library is named after the Egyptian sage Hermes Trismegistus, founder of Hermetic philosophy. Elements of this tradition, such as the unity of humanity, nature, and the divine, are found in all our collection areas: alchemy, Kabbalah, mysticism, magic, Rosicrucianism, Gnosis, and Christian theosophy. Though the focus lies on European traditions, the connections with spiritual currents such as Sufism, Hinduism, Daoism, and Buddhism are unmistakable. The BPH shows how rich and diverse the answers of the past were to questions that remain relevant today. Because of the influence the authors in our collection have had on the development of philosophy, science, and the European worldview, the library was included in the Dutch section of UNESCO’s Memory of the World register in 2022. After forty years of intensive collecting, researching, and exhibiting, we now find ourselves at a new turning point. Roots nourish trees, and trees bear blossoms and fruit. Our exhibition in Barcelona—now on view in Amsterdam—is only the beginning. We already reach the world through the internet, but more is to come: exhibitions at our own Embassy, in Cairo, Florence, and New York. Plans for Paris and Wolfenbüttel are underway. The message of the BPH is more vital than ever: freedom, tolerance, and care for the world. Timeless — and at the same time, profoundly of our time.