The Search Highlights:

1732: The Publication of OLYMPIA

The book OLYMPIA by Theodorus Antonides was published in 1732. This seminal work laid the foundation for the entire journey, sparking a fascination that would span centuries.

May 1972: The First Spark

May 1972: That year, everything changed. My father came home from a school trip, carrying a mysterious package. "For you," he said with a smile. A blue shirt, simple but with five intertwined rings. The Munich Olympics. I knew nothing about Olympia, about the ancient games, about the myth. But those rings, that color... something inside me reacted. A spark, small but bright, that has never been extinguished.

May 2012: The Olympic Flame

In May 2012, I was honored to be invited by NOC*NSF as a torchbearer for the London Olympic Games. It was a symbolic moment that connected my personal history with the international Olympic movement.

September 2012: Collection Sold

In September 2012, I made the difficult decision to sell my entire collection, including the precious "Olympia" book, thinking I had closed that chapter of my life.

April 2024: The Call of OLYMPIA

In April 2024, the call of OLYMPIA became too strong to ignore. I began a new search to uncover why this specific work from 1732 evoked such profound fascination.

July 2024: Meeting in Westerwijtwerd

July 2024 took me to Westerwijtwerd, where I met the current owner of the rectory where Theodorus Antonides once lived and worked.

December 2024: Translation to Modern Dutch 

By December 2024, the modern Dutch translation of the 1732 text was completed, making the historical content accessible to a wider audience.

February 2025: Fourth Edition

In February 2025, I managed to recover the exclusive and rare 1984 edition of the book with the help of the Royal Library (KB).

May 2025: Joining Forces

In May 2025, a new chapter began as Juriën and I joined forces. Together, we continued the #forgotteninolympia project to share our research with the world. 

August 2025:  Presentation in Lausanne

We presented our findings regarding Theodorus Antonides at the Olympic Studies Centre in Lausanne, bridging 1732 with modern Olympic ideals.

August 2025: Leuven

In Leuven, we had inspiring meetings with Philippe de Witte and Prof. Roland Renson, key figures in sports history.

October 2025: English Translation

October 2025 marked the completion of the first English draft, enabling international scholars to finally read the works of Antonides.

February 2026: NOC*NSF

A proud moment: OLYMPIA was put on display at the headquarters of NOC*NSF, acknowledging the historical significance of the book.

February 2026: Masterclass Cologne

We attended a masterclass in Cologne and met with Prof. Manfred Lämmer to discuss the intersection of classical literature and sports history.

April 2026: A new Milestone

For months, our project mapping Theodorus Antonides’ Olympia has been a journey through the world’s most prestigious library collections. Today, we’ve crossed a new frontier: the first recorded private ownership of this unique work.

May 2026: Dutch Digital Heritage

A monumental achievement: Our website was officially included in the web collection of the Royal Library (KB) as part of Dutch Digital Heritage.

June  2026: Presentation at the EOA Congress Malta

Filled with immense pride, this month we received the wonderful news that we will be presenting our research at the EOA Congress in Malta in November 2026.