Voices from the Free Municipality - First Series 1878 | P.H. Hugenholtz Jr.

Antique first edition of Stemmen uit de Vrije Gemeente, published in Amsterdam by Scheltema & Holkema in 1878 under the editorship of P.H. Hugenholtz Jr.

This edition was published in the founding year of De Vrije Gemeente in Amsterdam. The movement had emerged shortly before following a break with the Dutch Reformed Church and developed into an important center of liberal religious thought. The first edition therefore constitutes a direct historical source for the ideas and discussions with which the new congregation presented itself in 1878.

The volume contains speeches, reflections, and articles on, among other things, faith, freedom, the relationship between church and state, baptism, freethought, and comparative religion. The contributions include texts by P.H. Hugenholtz Jr. and Ph.R. Hugenholtz, but also a speech by François Haverschmidt, a clergyman and writer who became particularly known under his literary pseudonym Piet Paaltjens. Topics such as "Buddha or Jesus" and a congress of freethinkers are also addressed.

The copy is bound in a neat red cloth with gold-stamped spine and subtle gold decoration on the boards. The top edge is gilt, and the front and back covers feature beautiful multicolored marbled endpapers. Despite signs of wear on the exterior, the binding is very sturdy, and the interior is in remarkably neat condition for a book from 1878.

Details:

• Title: Stemmen uit de Vrije Gemeente
• Editor: P.H. Hugenholtz Jr.
• Edition: first edition
• Year: 1878
• Publisher: Scheltema & Holkema
• Place of publication: Amsterdam
• Language: Dutch
• Subject: liberal Protestantism, religion, church history, and freethought
• Contributions by, among others: P.H. Hugenholtz Jr., Ph.R. Hugenholtz, and François Haverschmidt
• Binding: red linen/percaline bookbinder's cloth
• Decoration: gold printing and gold-stamped ornaments
• Edges: gilt top edge
• Endpapers: multicolored marbled
• Dimensions: approx. 20.6 × 15.1 cm
• Thickness: approx. 4.8 cm
• Origin: Netherlands

Condition:
Good antiquarian condition. The binding is sturdy and the boards are well secured. The interior is remarkably clean and neat for its age, with normal age-related discoloration and a few small scattered spots. The marbled endpapers are beautifully preserved and the gilt top edge is still clearly visible. The red cloth shows normal signs of wear, including rubbing and small scuffs. There is more pronounced wear and fraying at the head and tail of the spine, with some loss of material at the top. The gold printing is largely well preserved. See the photos for a complete picture of the condition.