Embassy of the Free Mind
The Embassy of the Free Mind keeps five centuries of dissenting thought in one house in Amsterdam, and opens it to anyone curious enough to walk in.
Throughout history, those in power have tried to control the narrative and define what we are allowed to believe. Today, as truth is contested, books are burned, and history is rewritten, protecting free thought has never mattered more. The Embassy of the Free Mind holds more than 28,000 books that were banned, burned, or forbidden over the past five centuries, a living record of ideas the powerful once tried to erase.
YOUR MIND BELONGS TO YOU. AND THE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR A GOOD LIFE.
But the Embassy is not only preserving history. It is preserving human curiosity and the future of free thought, connecting the free thinkers of the past with the seekers of today. The questions we wrestle with now, about identity, equality, and freedom, have been explored since the 17th century. Experiencing those perspectives reminds us that the questions we carry have been asked, and lived, by others for hundreds of years.
This collection of knowledge belongs to humankind, and it should be accessible to all. With support from The Gambrell Foundation, the Embassy has digitized a portion of its library and translated it into nine languages, opening its doors to seekers around the world. A museum, a library, and a hub for free thinking, the Embassy welcomes anyone, of any religion, culture, or age, to explore life’s biggest questions and their own place in the answers.
