Pierre Bayle

You are standing on Bierstraat, formerly the Gedempte Bierhaven, named after the flourishing breweries here. In the 17th century stood ‘De Lantaarn’, the home of English merchant Benjamin Furly. It was a meeting place for free thinkers and intellectuals, including French philosopher Pierre Bayle.

Bayle fled to Rotterdam in 1681 to escape religious persecution in France. He became a professor at the Illustere School but lost his position in 1693 after accusations that he undermined faith. He believed even non-believers could live happily.

Despite losing his job, Bayle continued writing. His best-known work, Dictionaire historique et critique (1697), was an influential encyclopedia advocating religious tolerance and intellectual freedom.

‘De Lantaarn’ was a hub for free thought in Rotterdam. Though its exact location is unknown, it reminds us of Rotterdam’s role in the Enlightenment. Bayle’s legacy lives on in a school, street, cultural award, and monument at Erasmus University’s Woudestein campus.