The American Adventure of Frederik van Eeden

‘Unexpectedly beautiful and special. A wondrous city, destined for great wonders. ‘ This was how Frederik van Eeden (1860-1932), the well-known Dutch writer, psychiatrist and social reformer, enthusiastically wrote about New York on 29 February 1908. He had stepped ashore there the day before his great American adventure had begun. America had fascinated Van Eeden for years. The big, restless land suited him because of its great willingness to change and its ‘spirit of progress' . Towards the end of his life, nothing remained of the self-confidence with which Frederik van Eeden had embarked on his American adventure back in 1908. (with a translated extract from ‘Happy Humanity' by Frederik van Eeden)