On October 29, 2020, the 183rd birthday of Abraham Kuyper, the exhibition 'BRAM opened. This exhibition gives you a glimpse into the personal life of the always busy and very versatile Bram. A man 'with two faces': publicly known as 'Abraham the Great', privately a loving, insecure father and husband. How could he be so productive, what did he do to relax, and what can we learn from him?
Tight regime including 'mandatory' vacations
Preacher, politician, professor, journalist, writer and founder of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: Abraham Kuyper was all of these things. He was equally driven and productive in everything he did. How did he manage that and how did he stay healthy? He followed a strict regime including 'mandatory' vacations and walking breaks. During his studies and later as a member of parliament he already struggled with burnout. Sanatoria, climbing in the Alps and distant travels provided relaxation.
Confrontations with himself and others
Bram made high demands on himself and his environment. This regularly led to confrontations with himself and others. He went down in history as "a strict reformed man". But if we take a closer look, his actions did not always correspond to his own grand theories.
Recognizable struggles?
Even now, many of us, sometimes at a young age, struggle with burn out. We look for ways to relax (wellness) and to bring our grinding thoughts to a halt (mindfulness). We too seek affirmation and struggle to get rid of habits we know are harmful. And how do we do this ourselves: do we let the outside world (via social media) see only our successes - as Bram did in the newspaper - or do we dare to face and show our vulnerability?
Universal and timeless
Maybe we also see something of ourselves in Bram... Recognizable desires and struggles? This exhibition does not pretend to provide answers, but perhaps it encourages you to reflect and shows that the struggles of life are universal and timeless.
See the online exhibition