Rudolf Ritsema
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Ritsema was the director of the Fondazione Eranos
(Eranos Foundation) for over thirty years and the editor of the Eranos‑Jahrbuch serial (beginning with its vol. 38 published in 1972). Together with Shantena Augusto Sabbadini (b. 1943), the Italian physicist and spiritual thinker, he produced the first Italian rendering of the I Ching
based directly on the Chinese original.
Ritsema was born at Velp near Rheden
in the Netherlands
to the family of Ipo Christiaan Ritsema, whose ancestors hailed from Friesland
, and his wife Frances Johanna, née Van den Berg, who was partly of Frisian and partly of British origin (on the latter side he also benefited from an admixture of French Huguenot
blood). From his mother and from maternal grandmother Ritsema inherited a religious disposition and a sense of being guided in life by God – indeed, of being carried in God’s arms. Ritsema’s father on the other hand, trained in chemistry and pursuing an abiding interest in biology, was by temperament a scientist and a rationalist thinker.
At the age of 11 Ritsema entered the Odenwaldschule
in Heppenheim
, Germany, whose founders, Paul and Edith Geheeb, were to exert a profound influence on him. Upon the accession of the Nazis to power in Germany the Geheebs relocated to Switzerland, where they founded an alternative to their Odenwaldschule, the École d’humanité, and it was here that Ritsema met, towards the end of the course of his studies, his future wife, Catherine Gris, a young music teacher from Geneva. (They eventually married on May 8, 1945, when Ritsema was 26.)
After leaving the École d’humanité and subsequently obtaining his bachelor’s degree Ritsema enrolled in the University of Geneva
, but soon financial difficulties intervened as the outbreak of the Second World War put an end to the flow of money from the Netherlands. Ritsema then worked at odd jobs to support himself, but continued voraciously to read on his own, particularly in French and German literature
s, Tibetan Buddhism
, and in Jungian psychology.
In 1944 Ritsema and Catherine Gris began psychoanalysis under Alwine von Keller, whom Ritsema had previously encountered at the Odenwaldschule (where she worked as an English-literature teacher). It was von Keller who would now introduce him to the I Ching
.
One year after his marriage to Catherine Gris, Ritsema removed with his wife to Holland, where he obtained the position of Head of the Oriental department in the antiquarian division of E.J. Brill, a renowned bookselling and publishing company based in Leyden: there he became adept at buying and selling libraries of scholars and rare‑book collectors. During the weekends he would carry on with his I Ching research.
In the summer of 1947, at the age of 28, Ritsema contracted poliomyelitis
, a condition which entailed, in his case, diaphragm paralysis and which brought him to the threshold of death. Although he survived, the disease left him paralysed from the waist down. The following winter, at the suggestion of a neurologist who had recommended a warmer climate, the Ritsemas spent a month on the shores of Lake Maggiore
, near Ascona
in Switzerland, where Alwine von Keller had taken up residence at the Casa Shanti: the place happened to be situated next door to the Casa Gabriella, the house of the founder of Eranos
, Olga Froebe‑Kapteyn (1881–1962). Froebe developed a liking for the Ritsemas and invited them to stay the next winter at the Casa Eranos. From then on the Ritsemas would spend a month every year as Froebe’s guests, and a warm friendship developed among them (Froebe was also deeply interested in the I Ching
).
In 1956 Ritsema began to collaborate with Froebe and the Swiss zoologist and natural philosopher Adolf Portmann
(1897–1982) in the planning of the Eranos Conferences. Five years later Olga Froebe‑Kapteyn named Portmann and the Ritsemas as her successors entrusted to carry on the work of Eranos. However, when Froebe died in April 1962, the organizational work for the Eranos sessions fell squarely on the shoulders of Rudolf Ritsema, and from 1962 to 1982, the year of Portmann’s death, the Ritsemas were single-handedly responsible for keeping the tradition of the Eranos Conferences alive.
In his spare time Ritsema pursued his research into the I Ching, which reached a turning point around 1971 when he grew dissatisfied with the critical apparatus in the Wilhelm
translation, and conceived the idea of an entirely new translation. This took twenty years to materialize, but was aided in its progress by various scholars, notably James Hillman
and Robert Hinshaw (co‑founder of the Daimon Verlag of Einsiedeln
, Switzerland). Towards the end of 1980s the American poet Stephen L. Karcher assisted Ritsema in bringing the work to completion.
The year 1988 marked a new departure for Eranos as Ritsema took the radical and in the event controversial decision to change the basic structure of the Eranos Conferences, electing to turn the meetings into a spiritual laboratory of an experimental character involving personal engagement of the participants. He also put the I Ching at the centre of Eranos activities.
In the early 1990s Ritsema passed on the presidency of the Fondazione Eranos (Eranos Foundation) to the Jungian analyst, Christa Robinson. He died on May 8, 2006, at the age of 87, on the 61st anniversary of his marriage to Catherine Gris.
Eranos
Eranos is an intellectual discussion group dedicated to the study of psychology, religion, philosophy and spirituality which has met annually in Switzerland since 1933....
(Eranos Foundation) for over thirty years and the editor of the Eranos‑Jahrbuch serial (beginning with its vol. 38 published in 1972). Together with Shantena Augusto Sabbadini (b. 1943), the Italian physicist and spiritual thinker, he produced the first Italian rendering of the I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
based directly on the Chinese original.
Ritsema was born at Velp near Rheden
Rheden
Rheden is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.- Population centres :*Velp *Dieren *Rheden *De Steeg *Ellecom *Spankeren *Laag Soeren -Transportation:...
in 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...
to the family of Ipo Christiaan Ritsema, whose ancestors hailed from Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, and his wife Frances Johanna, née Van den Berg, who was partly of Frisian and partly of British origin (on the latter side he also benefited from an admixture of French Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
blood). From his mother and from maternal grandmother Ritsema inherited a religious disposition and a sense of being guided in life by God – indeed, of being carried in God’s arms. Ritsema’s father on the other hand, trained in chemistry and pursuing an abiding interest in biology, was by temperament a scientist and a rationalist thinker.
At the age of 11 Ritsema entered the Odenwaldschule
Odenwaldschule
Odenwaldschule, is a German school located in Heppenheim in the Odenwald. Founded in 1910, it is Germany's oldest landschulheim, a private boarding school located in a rural setting. Edith and Paul Geheeb established it using their concept of progressive education, which integrated the work of the...
in Heppenheim
Heppenheim
Heppenheim is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald.- Location :...
, Germany, whose founders, Paul and Edith Geheeb, were to exert a profound influence on him. Upon the accession of the Nazis to power in Germany the Geheebs relocated to Switzerland, where they founded an alternative to their Odenwaldschule, the École d’humanité, and it was here that Ritsema met, towards the end of the course of his studies, his future wife, Catherine Gris, a young music teacher from Geneva. (They eventually married on May 8, 1945, when Ritsema was 26.)
After leaving the École d’humanité and subsequently obtaining his bachelor’s degree Ritsema enrolled in the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
, but soon financial difficulties intervened as the outbreak of the Second World War put an end to the flow of money from the Netherlands. Ritsema then worked at odd jobs to support himself, but continued voraciously to read on his own, particularly in French and German literature
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
s, Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
, and in Jungian psychology.
In 1944 Ritsema and Catherine Gris began psychoanalysis under Alwine von Keller, whom Ritsema had previously encountered at the Odenwaldschule (where she worked as an English-literature teacher). It was von Keller who would now introduce him to the I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
.
One year after his marriage to Catherine Gris, Ritsema removed with his wife to Holland, where he obtained the position of Head of the Oriental department in the antiquarian division of E.J. Brill, a renowned bookselling and publishing company based in Leyden: there he became adept at buying and selling libraries of scholars and rare‑book collectors. During the weekends he would carry on with his I Ching research.
In the summer of 1947, at the age of 28, Ritsema contracted poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
, a condition which entailed, in his case, diaphragm paralysis and which brought him to the threshold of death. Although he survived, the disease left him paralysed from the waist down. The following winter, at the suggestion of a neurologist who had recommended a warmer climate, the Ritsemas spent a month on the shores of Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest of Italy and largest of southern Switzerland. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great prealpine lakes of Italy, it extends for about 70 km between Locarno and Arona.The climate is mild...
, near Ascona
Ascona
Ascona is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.It is located on the shore of Lake Maggiore.The town is a popular tourist destination, and holds a yearly jazz festival, the Ascona Jazz Festival....
in Switzerland, where Alwine von Keller had taken up residence at the Casa Shanti: the place happened to be situated next door to the Casa Gabriella, the house of the founder of Eranos
Eranos
Eranos is an intellectual discussion group dedicated to the study of psychology, religion, philosophy and spirituality which has met annually in Switzerland since 1933....
, Olga Froebe‑Kapteyn (1881–1962). Froebe developed a liking for the Ritsemas and invited them to stay the next winter at the Casa Eranos. From then on the Ritsemas would spend a month every year as Froebe’s guests, and a warm friendship developed among them (Froebe was also deeply interested in the I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
).
In 1956 Ritsema began to collaborate with Froebe and the Swiss zoologist and natural philosopher Adolf Portmann
Adolf Portmann
Adolf Portmann was a zoologist.Born in Basel, Switzerland, he studied zoology at the University of Basel and worked later in Geneva, Munich, Paris and Berlin, but mainly in marine biology laboratories in France and Helgoland.In 1931 he became professor of zoology in Basel...
(1897–1982) in the planning of the Eranos Conferences. Five years later Olga Froebe‑Kapteyn named Portmann and the Ritsemas as her successors entrusted to carry on the work of Eranos. However, when Froebe died in April 1962, the organizational work for the Eranos sessions fell squarely on the shoulders of Rudolf Ritsema, and from 1962 to 1982, the year of Portmann’s death, the Ritsemas were single-handedly responsible for keeping the tradition of the Eranos Conferences alive.
In his spare time Ritsema pursued his research into the I Ching, which reached a turning point around 1971 when he grew dissatisfied with the critical apparatus in the Wilhelm
Richard Wilhelm
Richard Wilhelm was a German sinologist, as well as theologian and missionary. He is best remembered for his translations of philosophical works from Chinese into German that in turn have been translated into other major languages of the world, including English...
translation, and conceived the idea of an entirely new translation. This took twenty years to materialize, but was aided in its progress by various scholars, notably James Hillman
James Hillman
James Hillman was an American psychologist. He studied at, and then guided studies for, the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich, founded a movement toward archetypal psychology and retired into private practice, writing and traveling to lecture, until his death at his home in Connecticut on October 27,...
and Robert Hinshaw (co‑founder of the Daimon Verlag of Einsiedeln
Einsiedeln, Switzerland
Einsiedeln is a municipality and district in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey. Einsiedeln is also the birthplace of Paracelsus, a Renaissance physician and alchemist who is credited with first naming zinc.-Prehistoric...
, Switzerland). Towards the end of 1980s the American poet Stephen L. Karcher assisted Ritsema in bringing the work to completion.
The year 1988 marked a new departure for Eranos as Ritsema took the radical and in the event controversial decision to change the basic structure of the Eranos Conferences, electing to turn the meetings into a spiritual laboratory of an experimental character involving personal engagement of the participants. He also put the I Ching at the centre of Eranos activities.
In the early 1990s Ritsema passed on the presidency of the Fondazione Eranos (Eranos Foundation) to the Jungian analyst, Christa Robinson. He died on May 8, 2006, at the age of 87, on the 61st anniversary of his marriage to Catherine Gris.
Publications
- Rudolf Ritsema, ‘The Ethic of the Image’; in Stephen Karcher, ed., The Yi ching and the Ethic of the Image: Papers presented at the 1992 Round Table Session sponsored by the Eranos Foundation, the Uehiro Foundation on Ethics and Education (Putnam, Connecticut, Spring Journal, 1993).
- I ching: The Classic Chinese Oracle of Change: The First Complete Translation with Concordance, translated by Rudolf Ritsema and Stephen Karcher (Shaftesbury, Dorset, Element, 1994).
- I ching: il libro della versatilità, translated from the Chinese by Rudolf Ritsema and Shantena Augusto Sabbadini (Turin, Unione tipografico-editrice torinese, 1997).
- Yi‑jing: das Buch der Wandlungen; die einzige vollständige Ausgabe der altchinesischen Orakeltexte mit Konkordanz..., translated by Rudolf Ritsema and Hansjakob Schneider (Frankfurt am Main, Zweitausendeins, 2000).
- The Original I Ching Oracle: The Pure and Complete Texts with Concordance, translated by Rudolf Ritsema and Shantena Augusto Sabbadini (London, Watkins Publishing, 2005).