About Felix Meritis
History
The Felix Meritis building at Keizersgracht 324 was inaugurated by the affluent citizens of Amsterdam with an interest in the arts and sciences in 1788. The various rooms of this ‘Temple of the Enlightenment' were used for concerts, literary meetings, debates and other functions. Concerts given by the Felix Meritis society set the tone for musical life in the Dutch capital until late in the nineteenth century.
Object of the Felix Meritis society: clock, planetarium and emblem (collection Rijksmuseum Amsterdam)
After the dissolution of the Felix Meritis society in 1889, the building was purchased by Holdert and Co printers, who demolished a large part of the interior. A fire destroyed much of the front façade in 1932. However, the building was restored, and after the war the Communist Party of the Netherlands moved into Felix Meritis, where the Communist daily De Waarheid rolled from the presses. During the turbulent 1960s the building was turned into a cultural palace under the name of Shaffytheater. It was the venue for many performances of experimental dance, mime, theatre and music by artists such as Ramses Shaffy, Liesbeth List, Freek de Jonge, and many other well-known and lesser-known personalities.
Connecting Cultures
Since 1988 the Felix Meritis Foundation has continued these activities in a contemporary form as a European Centre for the Arts and Sciences.
Thanks to its rich cultural, political and social past, its spatial capacity, and its unique architectural and acoustic qualities, the Felix Meritis building is an ideal site to play a prominent role in the cultural life of Amsterdam. The accommodation invites the free exchange of opinions, informal meetings, exploration and dialogue, in accordance with the ideals of the Dutch Enlightenment.
Partners
Felix Meritis is for many a haven for independent thinkers and a place where knowledge is exchanged and the arts enjoyed. Felix Meritis initiates in cooperation with leading local and (inter)national partners projects as Forum Amsterdam, The People Network, Gulliver Connect, Dare2Connect, the Night of Philosophy, the Globaliseringslezing, Café Europe and the lectures Cross-thinking about Sustainability.
By hosting not only such organisations as The Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University (wwww.amsu.edu), the Max Wagener Foundation and Het Toneel Speelt (www.hettoneelspeelt.nl), Felix Meritis offers a platform for (inter)national exchange and meetings in the broadest sense of the word. Also others like The Red House (Sofia), The Caucasus Foundation (Tbilisi), KulturKontakt (Vienna), Stiftung Zukunft Berlin E.v. and Open Siberia Agency are part of the network of Felix Meritis.
