Felix Meritis
Encyclopedia
Felix Meritis is the name of a former society and its building on the Keizersgracht in Amsterdam
. Since 1988 The Felix Meritis Foundation has been located in the building as a European centre for art, culture and science.
in 1777. On October 31, 1788, the building of the same name opened its doors. The society, inspired by the Enlightenment ideals, focused on the promotion of arts and sciences and distinguished several departments: Music, Drawing Studies, Physics, Commerce and Literature. Felix Meritis’ oval concert hall was the main music hall in Amsterdam until late into the 19th century and enjoyed a great international reputation. Many famous musicians performed there, including Robert
and Clara Schumann
, Camille Saint-Saëns
, Johannes Brahms
and Julius Röntgen
. The orchestra of Felix Meritis was regarded as the best of the Netherlands
and accompanied many Dutch premieres, directed by conductors such as Johannes Bernardus van Bree
. Thus, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique were first played in the concert hall of Felix Meritis. The small hall of the Concertgebouw is a replica of this concert hall. The society was abolished in 1888.
set up its headquarters in the building. From 1947 until 1981 the newspaper 'The Truth' ('De Waarheid') rolled from the presses. In the 50’s Felix Meritis was the symbol of communism
in the Netherlands. This image has been embedded in the collective memory since the storming of the building on November 4, 1956, in response to the Russian invasion of Hungary
. In the late sixties Felix Meritis became the cradle of evenings for alternative youth, which were named Provadya. In 1969 the Shaffy Theater opened, which gained a reputation as a stopping place for the Dutch avant-garde including Ramses Shaffy
, Baal, Holland's Hope, Independent Theater and Hauser Orkater. In 1988 The Felix Meritis foundation was established in the building as a European center for art, culture and science.
, which is characteristic of the Age of Enlightenment
. The classical temple façade with its colossal Corinthian pilasters and pediment is characteristic of the neoclassical style. The society's departments - visual arts and architecture, literature, trade, natural sciences and music - are symbolized in five embossed sculptures. The interior includes original 18th-century features such as the central staircase, the oval concert hall (renowned for its acoustics) and the domed roof - underneath which there used to be an observatory. The building is a national monument.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Since 1988 The Felix Meritis Foundation has been located in the building as a European centre for art, culture and science.
Society
The society Felix Meritis was established by the middle classes of AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in 1777. On October 31, 1788, the building of the same name opened its doors. The society, inspired by the Enlightenment ideals, focused on the promotion of arts and sciences and distinguished several departments: Music, Drawing Studies, Physics, Commerce and Literature. Felix Meritis’ oval concert hall was the main music hall in Amsterdam until late into the 19th century and enjoyed a great international reputation. Many famous musicians performed there, including Robert
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
and Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann was a German musician and composer, considered one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era...
, Camille Saint-Saëns
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French Late-Romantic composer, organist, conductor, and pianist. He is known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, Piano Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1, Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and his Symphony...
, Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
and Julius Röntgen
Julius Röntgen
Julius Engelbert Röntgen was a German-Dutch composer of classical music.-Life:Julius Röntgen was born in Leipzig, Germany, to a family of musicians. His father, Engelbert Röntgen, was first violinist in the Gewandhaus orchestra in Leipzig; his mother, Pauline Klengel, was a pianist, the aunt of...
. The orchestra of Felix Meritis was regarded as the best of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and accompanied many Dutch premieres, directed by conductors such as Johannes Bernardus van Bree
Johannes Bernardus van Bree
Johannes Bernardus van Bree was a Dutch composer, violinist and conductor. He was a pupil of Jan George Bertelman.From 1829 to the year of his death he directed the Felix Meritis Society...
. Thus, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique were first played in the concert hall of Felix Meritis. The small hall of the Concertgebouw is a replica of this concert hall. The society was abolished in 1888.
Renowned history
When the society was dissolved in 1888 the printing company Holdert & Co., which became one of Amsterdam's largest printing companies, took it over. In 1932 part of the building was destroyed in a fire. After the Second World War the Communist Party of the NetherlandsCommunist Party of the Netherlands
The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :...
set up its headquarters in the building. From 1947 until 1981 the newspaper 'The Truth' ('De Waarheid') rolled from the presses. In the 50’s Felix Meritis was the symbol of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
in the Netherlands. This image has been embedded in the collective memory since the storming of the building on November 4, 1956, in response to the Russian invasion of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. In the late sixties Felix Meritis became the cradle of evenings for alternative youth, which were named Provadya. In 1969 the Shaffy Theater opened, which gained a reputation as a stopping place for the Dutch avant-garde including Ramses Shaffy
Ramses Shaffy
Ramses Shaffy was a Dutch singer and actor. He became popular during the 1960s. His most famous songs include Zing, vecht, huil, bid, lach, werk en bewonder , We zullen doorgaan , Pastorale, Sammy and Laat me...
, Baal, Holland's Hope, Independent Theater and Hauser Orkater. In 1988 The Felix Meritis foundation was established in the building as a European center for art, culture and science.
Centre for art, culture and science
Felix Meritis is an independent international meeting place and serves as director of the European public debate, cultural processes and international projects and exchanges. Felix Meritis presents itself as a knowledge institution and platform for European cultural dialogue and cultural-political issues. The motto of Felix Meritis is Connecting Cultures. In collaboration with partners from home and abroad Felix Meritis initiates projects such as A Soul for Europe, Amsterdam Forum, The People Network, Gulliver Connect, Amsterdam Summer University, Dare2Connect, The European House for Culture (Brussels), Night of Philosophy, Cafe Europa, The Globalization Lecture Foundation and Kuhnya.The building
The society commissioned Jacob Otten Husly (1738–1796) to design the building in Louis XVI style. This style refers to ClassicismClassicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
, which is characteristic of the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
. The classical temple façade with its colossal Corinthian pilasters and pediment is characteristic of the neoclassical style. The society's departments - visual arts and architecture, literature, trade, natural sciences and music - are symbolized in five embossed sculptures. The interior includes original 18th-century features such as the central staircase, the oval concert hall (renowned for its acoustics) and the domed roof - underneath which there used to be an observatory. The building is a national monument.
Director Felix Meritis
Linda Bouws, MA Theatre Studies, has been the director of The Felix Meritis Foundation, European Centre for Arts, Culture and Science in Amsterdam since 2002.Literature
- Loes Gompes & Merel Ligtelijn, Mirror of Amsterdam - History of Felix Meritis, 2007, Rozenberg Publishers