February 2026:

THE OLYMPIC FLAME OF WESTERWIJTWERD!

From the clay of Groningen to the heart of the Olympic movement in Lausanne... our quest for Theodorus Antonides and his masterpiece 'Olympia' is entering a magnificent new chapter!

We are proud to share that an extensive article about our journey will be featured in the June issue of 'Stad en Lande'-magazine. Titled 'The Olympic flame of Westerwijtwerd', it takes the reader along on our years-long investigation.

What began in the archives led us to conversations with international professors, visits to historic sites, and ultimately even to a presentation at the International Olympic Committee (IOC). We are honored to bring the story behind this extraordinary book and its author to life in this way.

Curious about the full story? Because we have gathered so much information, documents, and images—more than could ever fit into a single article—we have launched the website www.olympia.co.nl. Here, you will find all the background details regarding our research and the fascinating history of Antonides’ Olympia. 

ARE YOU AN OLYMPIC PIONEER?

"𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘖𝘭𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘭𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮".

300 years ago, 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 did exactly that. In 1732, he captured the Olympic spirit in his masterpiece "Olympia" — long before the modern Olympic Games were even a thought.

THE UNTOLD ORIGIN OF THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT!

Did you know the blueprint for the modern Olympic Games was actually drafted 300 years ago?

In 1732—long before the world gathered in Athens—a Dutch visionary named 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 published his masterpiece: 'Olympia'.

It was the first major work to fully reconstruct the ancient Olympic Games and their ideals. That’s more than 160 years before the "first" modern Olympics in 1896.

Antonides captured the essence of what we still celebrate today:

> The relentless pursuit of excellence.

> The discipline of the athlete.

> The perfect harmony between mind and body.

'𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐚' 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬.

UNIQUE OLYMPIC BOOK GETS A PLACE OF HONOR AT THE DUTCH OLYMPIC HEADQUARTERS!

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬.

We are proud to announce that a world-class piece of heritage has found its new home. The book 'Olympia' is now on display at the NOC*NSF headquarters (the Netherlands Olympic Committee)—the high-performance heart of Dutch sports at National Sports Centre Papendal.

𝐀 𝟑𝟎𝟎-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲.

The work on display is a photomechanical reprint of 'Olympia' by the Dutch scholar Theodorus Antonides. While this specific edition was published in 1984, the original 1732 masterpiece is officially recognized as the oldest printed book in the world specifically dedicated to the Olympic Games.

𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞.

Our sincere thanks go to Bernard Hilgers Hilgers and NOC*NSF for making this exhibition possible. Together, we are keeping the global legacy of the Olympic Games alive.

THE LESSON OF OLYMPIA (1732): Now more relevant than ever!

While the world's eyes are focused on the gold medal of Milan-Cortina 2026, a nearly forgotten Dutch masterpiece reminds us of the true stakes.

In 1732, deep in the clay of Groningen, preacher Theodorus Antonides wrote a vision that was three hundred years ahead of its time. His message was as simple as it was radical: True victory is not about defeating others, it is about triumphing over oneself.

Antonides saw the Olympic idea not as an exclusive privilege for the elite athlete, but as a universal blueprint for human growth. He taught us that the arena is merely a backdrop. The real goal? Not to be the best in the world, but to become the best version for the world.

Today, the medals glitter in the Italian snow, but the real victory is quietly achieved by everyone who pushes their own boundaries. As Antonides already knew three centuries ago: the greatest triumph doesn't take place on the podium, but within the individual.

Did you know? "Olympia" (1732) by Theodorus Antonides is the oldest printed book in the world dedicated specifically to the Olympic Games.

A Dutch discovery that sheds new light on global sports history.

🏛️ THE GREAT OLYMPIC MYSTERY: FOUND IN A SMALL DUTCH VILLAGE!

What if the blueprint for the modern Olympic spirit wasn't born in France, but in a quiet 18th-century Dutch rectory?

We are incredibly proud to share that Dagblad van het Noorden has featured our journey—a personal quest that evolved into an historical odyssey, leading us all the way to the heart of the Olympic movement in Lausanne.

Who was Theodorus Antonides?

Long before the modern Games were a reality, this 18th-century minister published "Olympia" (1732). It is the world’s very first printed book dedicated entirely to the Olympic Games. This makes Antonides not just a minister, but a true Olympic Pioneer who kept the flame alive centuries ago.

Our Mission?

This project is a  dedicated initiative to give this forgotten Dutch heritage the global recognition it deserves. From the archives in Groningen (The Netherlands) to the heart of the Olympic movement in Lausanne, we are piecing together a story that rewrites sports history.

Curious how a local minister is connected to the world's biggest sporting event? Check out the full story below!

(Note: The article is in Dutch, but the history is universal!)