Abstract
Ever since the publication of An Interrupted Life, it has been obvious that Etty Hillesum's first encounter with Julius Spier was a major stepping stone in her personal development. In this paper, it is argued that the notes made during their first meeting, i.e. the report of Spier's hand analysis dated 3 February 1941, are powerful evidence to back up this assumption. Several elements that Spier noticed about Hillesum through “reading” her hands, became themes in Hillesum's diaries. Consequently, the report can be viewed as the prologue to these diaries. However, to understand this particular text, first the content is examined and an amended, more easily readable version is presented.
Keywords: Julius Spier, hand analysis, protocol of Etty Hillesum's hand analysis, personal development, balance between feelings and thinking, Dicky de Jonge, Adri Holm
On 3 February 1942, Etty Hillesum, Julius Spier, and Adri Holm celebrated Hillesum's “spiritual birthday.” Precisely one year prior, Hillesum had had her hands analyzed by Spier and a few of his students, including Dicky de Jonge. The report on Hillesum's hand analysis made by Holm in that session in 1941, was among the papers that De Jonge carefully safeguarded from her time as a student of Spier.
In this article, I will argue that Holm's report should be considered the prologue to Hillesum's diaries. To understand the importance of Spier's analysis, I will first examine the content of Holm's report on Hillesum's hands and then go on to present an amended, more easily readable version of this initial report.
Hillesum's protocol consists of a series of eighty-five statements
When a person attended Spier's course as the subject of study with the aim of having his/her hands analyzed by Spier and his students, one of the students present made a handprint of the “subject” for each student present at the meeting. Usually, the student making these handprints was the one who had invited the person to serve as a subject of study. Additionally, one of the students took notes during the session. At the time Hillesum attended, this was often Adri Holm, but Dicky de Jonge was also willing to do this task.