The Night of the 'Free Thinkers' is back

Experience 17th-century The Hague through unique crossovers of theatre, music, lectures, and virtual reality.
(The above text and the attached photo may be used with credit to: Arnoud Roelofsz.)

The Hague – After last year’s success, The Night of the Free Thinkers returns with an exciting new edition, taking place at two special locations in The Hague: on Thursday 30 October in the Spinoza Quarter and on Thursday 20 November in Museum Quarter The Hague.

The Night of the Free Thinkers

The Night of the Free Thinkers is an interactive evening walk filled with stories, music, and theatre. New this year is the addition of virtual reality. Visitors are immersed in the The Hague of the free thinkers Huygens, Spinoza, Descartes, and De Witt — four minds who dared to question, to reason, and to push boundaries.

Huygens came from a wealthy and influential family in The Hague and grew up around the Binnenhof.
Here, in this remarkable setting, his famous father Constantijn introduced him to the world. Family friend René Descartes believed that all truths should be questioned, while Spinoza urged for purely logical thinking. Like Huygens, these were free thinkers who lived in an era when new ideas, curiosity, and doubt changed the world. During these storytelling nights, you’ll encounter them all.

Program

During this discovery walk, you’ll wander through the city and, at various locations, explore the lives, work, and ideas of these great free thinkers.
The route takes you past historic and remarkable places such as Pulchri Studio. Through music, lectures, theatrical scenes, and digital projections, their stories come to life. Thanks to a new, innovative virtual reality experience, you can even look around the 17th-century The Hague as if you were really there. This is made possible by Huygens’ Time Machine, a project that digitally reconstructs more and more places in The Hague as they would have looked in the 17th century. You can already take a sneak preview via this link. 

''Huygens and Spinoza are undoubtedly two of the most influential thinkers in world history. How special it is to bring their stories to life right here, in the places where they once lived and worked. It truly feels like travelling back in time. And the combination of theatre, music, and virtual reality makes the experience even more extraordinary.” Theo Pronk – algemeen director Stichting Verborgen Stad. 

The storytelling nights will take place on Thursday 30 October and Thursday 20 November from 7:30 PM to 10:15 PM. Tickets are €22.00 per person and can be purchased online.

For more information about this time-travel experience, visit denhaag.com/en/agenda/night-of-the-free-thinkers denhaag.com/nl/agenda/nacht-van-de-vrijdenkers.