Felix Louis Ortt (9 June 1866 – 15 October 1959) was a Dutch

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...

, writer, translator, and social reformer. He was known for his involvement in a wide range of progressive movements. Active in the Dutch

animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...

and

vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

movements, he co-founded the Dutch Vegetarian Association in 1894 and was a leading figure in the development of

Christian anarchism Christian anarchism is a Christian movement in political theology that claims anarchism is inherent in Christianity and the Gospels. It is grounded in the belief that there is only one source of authority to which Christians are ultimately answ ...

in the Netherlands. Born in

Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...

, Ortt left government service to pursue a life dedicated to

nonviolence Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...

simple living Simple living refers to practices that promote simplicity in one's lifestyle. Common practices of simple living include reducing the number of possessions one owns, depending less on technology and services, and spending less money. In addition t ...

, and

ethical living Ethical living is the philosophy of making decisions for personal life, daily life which take into account ethics and moral values, particularly with regard to consumerism, sustainability, environmentalism, wildlife, and animal welfare. Practice ...

. He co-founded a Christian anarchist commune, edited the journal ''Vrede'', and translated works by J. Howard Moore into Dutch. Ortt's work engaged with issues such as wealth inequality, education, spirituality, and

sexual ethics Sexual ethics (also known as sex ethics or sexual morality) is a branch of philosophy that considers the ethics or morality of Human sexual behaviour, sexual behavior. Sexual ethics seeks to understand, evaluate and critique interpersonal relatio ...

, making him an influential voice in early 20th-century Dutch humanitarian and anarchist thought.

Biography

Early life and education

Born in

on 9 June 1866 into a strict

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

family, Ortt followed the family's tradition by studying

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

Delft University of Technology The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft; ) is the oldest and largest Dutch public university, public Institute of technology, technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. It specializes in engineering, technology, computing, design, a ...

and working for the Dutch water management authority,

Rijkswaterstaat Rijkswaterstaat, founded in 1798 as the ''Bureau voor den Waterstaat'' and formerly translated to Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management, is a Directorate-General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Ministry ...

. However, a bout of

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

in 1890 led him to explore

natural medicine Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturopaths. Difficult ...

, which inspired him to adopt a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

lifestyle. In 1894, he co-founded the Dutch Vegetarian Association.

Christian anarchism and social reform

Ortt's engagement with social activism deepened after encountering the works of

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...

at a temperance congress in 1896. Inspired by Tolstoy's ideals of nonviolence and Christian teachings, Ortt became increasingly disillusioned with government service and resigned from Rijkswaterstaat in 1899. He soon left the

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, , abbreviated NHK ) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the traditional denomination of the Dutch royal famil ...

and immersed himself in promoting

, editing the publication ' ("Peace"), which became an important platform for advocating

simplicity Simplicity is the state or quality of being wikt:simple, simple. Something easy to understand or explain seems simple, in contrast to something complicated. Alternatively, as Herbert A. Simon suggests, something is simple or Complexity, complex ...

, and

. This period marked his transition from an engineer to a dedicated social reformer, focusing on issues of wealth inequality, compassion, and spiritual integrity.

Commune and writing

In 1900, Ortt co-founded a Christian anarchist commune near

Blaricum Blaricum () is a municipality and village in the province of North Holland, the Netherlands. It is part of the region of Gooiland and part of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (Metropoolregio Amsterdam). It is known for ...

, attempting to create a community based on the teachings of Jesus, with an emphasis on nonviolence, vegetarianism, and simplicity. The commune included a horticultural group, a printing press, and a bakery, but internal disputes over religious interpretations eventually led to its dissolution in 1903. Despite this setback, Ortt documented the experience in his novel series ''Felicia'' and continued his activism by writing and editing publications that disseminated his ideas on humanitarianism, ethics, and social justice. Ortt also became an active member of the ("Pure Life Movement"), which focused on promoting spiritual purity,

, and moral conduct. His writings on love, marriage, and sexuality often sparked debates and controversy, especially due to his support for more progressive ideas on free marriage. Despite criticism from more conservative members, he stayed dedicated to promoting a lifestyle rooted in spiritual and ethical principles, making a notable impact on the intellectual and moral discourse of his era.

Translation work

Ortt translated several works by American zoologist J. Howard Moore into Dutch.

Personal life

Ortt married three times. In 1892, he married Anna Petronella Gelderman, with whom he had three children before their marriage ended in divorce in 1905. Later that year, he entered into a free union with Tine Hinlopen, and together they had three additional children. In 1932, he married Maria Theresia Zeijlemaker, the head of a children's home.

Later years and death

During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Ortt was a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he aided refugees in Soest. Ortt continued to publish writings on vegetarianism, spirituality, and parapsychology well into his later years. He died in Soest on 15 October 1959.

Legacy

A retirement home for vegetarians in

Oosterbeek Oosterbeek is a village in the eastern part of Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Renkum in the province of Gelderland, about west of Arnhem. The oldest part of Oosterbeek is the Benedendorp (Lower Village), on the northern bank ...

was named Felix Ortt in his honor.

Publications

Ortt was a prolific writer and published many works: * ''Christelijk anarchisme'' ("Christian Anarchism"; Haarlem, 1898) * ''Het beginsel der liefde'' ("The Principle of Love"; The Hague, 1898) * ''Naar het groote licht'' ("Towards the Great Light"; The Hague, 1899) * ''Open brief aan de presidente van den Nederlandschen Vrouwenbond ter Internationale Ontwapening'' ("Open Letter to the President of the Dutch Women's Union for International Disarmament"; Amsterdam, 1899) * ''Het spiritisme'' ("Spiritism"; The Hague, 1899) * ''Denkbeelden van een christen-anarchist'' ("Thoughts of a Christian Anarchist"; The Hague, 1900) * ''Medische wetenschap en vivisectie'' ("Medical Science and Vivisection"; The Hague, 1902) * ''Brieven over gezondheid (in het bijzonder tot arbeiders)'' ("Letters about Health (especially to workers)"; Blaricum, 1902) * ''Praktisch socialisme'' ("Practical Socialism"; Amersfoort, 1903) * ''Het streven der christen-anarchisten'' ("The Aspiration of the Christian Anarchists"; Amersfoort, 1903) * ''Rein leven en Geheelonthouding'' ("Pure Life and Total Abstinence"; Soest, 1903) * Manifest van het Landelijk Comité Zaak-Terwey. Waar het om gaat en wat onze plicht is ("Manifest of the National Committee Case-Terwey. What It's About and What Our Duty Is"; z.pl., 1903) * ''Aan mijn zusje – brief over het geslachtsleven'' ("To My Little Sister – A Letter about Sexual Life"; Amersfoort, 1903) * ''Het Nieuw-Malthusianisme. Uit ethisch oogpunt beschouwd'' ("Neo-Malthusianism. Considered from an Ethical Point of View"; Amersfoort, 1904) * ''Sexueele ethiek'' ("Sexual Ethics"; Amersfoort, 1904) * ''De Vrije Mensch: studies'' ("The Free Human: Studies"; Amersfoort, 1904) * ''Een zedelijke plicht der ouders.'' (Rede) ("A Moral Duty of Parents. (Speech)"; The Hague, 1905) * ''Apen en menschen'' ("Apes and Humans"; The Hague, 1907) * ''De reinleven-beweging. Ontstaan, doel, beginselen en organisatie der rein levenbeweging. Kort uiteengezet'' ("The Pure Life Movement. Origin, Purpose, Principles, and Organization of the Pure Life Movement. Briefly Explained"; z.pl, 1908) * ''Brieven over Godsgeloof. Verkorte volksuitgave der 'Brieven aan een vriendinnetje over religieuze begrippen ("Letters about Faith in God. Abbreviated Popular Edition of 'Letters to a Little Friend about Religious Concepts'"; Blaricum, 1909) * ''Drankzucht en hoe die tegen te gaan'' ("Alcoholism and How to Combat It"; z.pl., 1911) * ''Het dure vleesch'' ("The Expensive Meat"; z.pl., 1913) * ''De invloed van den oorlog op de ethiek'' ("The Influence of the War on Ethics"; Purmerend, 1916) * ''Inleiding tot het pneumatisch-energetisch monisme. Een beschouwing over God, de wereld, het leven, mensch en maatschappij, vanuit het standpunt der natuurwetenschap'' ("Introduction to Pneumatic-Energetic Monism. A Consideration of God, the World, Life, Human and Society, from the Perspective of Natural Science"; The Hague, 1917) * ''Tweede brief aan mijn zusje. Over verloving en huwelijk'' ("Second Letter to My Little Sister. About Engagement and Marriage"; Soest, 1921) * ''Over kunst en schoonheid'' ("About Art and Beauty"; Blaricum, 1921) * ''De koepokinenting'' ("The Smallpox Vaccination"; Hilversum, 1927) * ''Nieuwe beschouwingen over den droom en de droompsyche'' ("New Considerations about the Dream and the Dream Psyche"; Amsterdam, 1927) * ''Het wezen der homeopatische geneeswijze'' ("The Nature of Homeopathic Medicine"; Hilversum, 1930) * ''Over de dierenziel'' ("About the Animal Soul"; The Hague, 1933) * ''Verleden, heden en toekomst der natuurgeneeswijze'' ("Past, Present, and Future of Naturopathy"; Soest, 1939) * ''Levenshouding'' ("Attitude to Life"; z.pl., 1942) * ''De superkosmos. Filosofie van het occultisme en het spiritisme'' ("The Super Cosmos. Philosophy of Occultism and Spiritism"; The Hague, 1949) * ''Het droomleven'' ("The Dream Life"; The Hague, 1951) * ''Over Frederik van Eeden'' ("About Frederik van Eeden"; Amsterdam, 1958)

References

External links

Author page
at the Digital Library for Dutch Literature
Felix Ortt
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortt, Felix 1866 births 1959 deaths 19th-century Dutch writers 19th-century Dutch male writers 19th-century Dutch novelists 19th-century Dutch translators 20th-century anarchists 20th-century Dutch writers 20th-century Dutch male writers 20th-century Dutch novelists 20th-century Dutch translators Alternative medicine activists Anarchist writers Christian anarchists Conscientious objectors Delft University of Technology alumni Dutch anarchists Dutch animal welfare workers Dutch anti-vaccination activists Dutch anti-vivisectionists Dutch Christian pacifists Dutch civil engineers Dutch male novelists Dutch temperance activists Dutch vegetarianism activists English–Dutch translators Nonviolence advocates People from Groningen (city) Simple living advocates Spiritualists Tolstoyans Writers from Groningen (city)