Erasmus Collection Rotterdam

The world’s largest collection of early modern Erasmus documents – letters and books – function as a fundamental source of knowledge of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536), his influential ideas on religion, society, and education, the way they spread over the world, and the various ways in which readers used his texts and ideas. The starting point of this Rotterdam collection dates back to 1604, and it was assembled by public as well as private means throughout the ages. The Collection represents the various ways in which his works have been appropriated, read, and used during his life and after his death throughout Europe. The circa 3,000 books in the Erasmus Collection Rotterdam printed from the 15th until the 19th century encompass the geographical range of Erasmian printing. Moreover, it includes several handwritten materials by Erasmus himself. In this way, the collection stands at the basis of our current knowledge of the innovative way in which Erasmus laid foundations for our society today.