Mrs J.J. Werker, set up the first small Montessori ‘Casa dei Bambini’ in the Netherlands, in 1914. It was soon apparent, that with other schools opening their doors in the Netherlands, it was necessary to coordinate how schools were run and managed, and to pool resources. In 1917 the official Dutch Montessori Society was formed to liaise with Maria Montessori. In 1922, this Dutch Society established a Leermiddelenhuis (didactic apparatus centre), to produce materials to her exacting standards.
Around 1926 a skilled carpenter, Albert Nienhuis joined Leermiddelenhuis and created the first Abacus and Geometric Cabinet materials for Maria Montessori. Albert Nienhuis and his two sons, continued to produce the Montessori materials during WW2, as they continue producing materials to the same craftsmanship standard, in today’s world. This culminated in the celebratory puzzle – the Maria Montessori Tulip Puzzle.
In August 2019, Nienhuis Montessori produced a commemorative Maria Montessori Tulip puzzle, depicting a special tulip. This unique product was for sale throughout 2020, to celebrate Maria Montessori’s 150th birthday on the 31st August 2020.
The tulip illustrated on the puzzle, had been commissioned and grown by AMI in the Netherlands. This bulb was launched in 2019, with the intention for all Montessori schools, throughout the world, being able to purchase and plant them, ready to bloom on the anniversary of her 150th birthday, last year.
Unfortunately, the Coronavirus intervened and we never really had a true opportunity to put the intention into place in South Africa.
However, to celebrate Maria’s 150th birthday, we offer these unique puzzles for sale.
When Maria Montessori opened her first Casa dei Bambini, the outdoors, as a place of educating children, was considered something of an anomaly. However, Maria Montessori’s profound understanding of the interconnectedness of all life and the importance of nature, her ecological view of education was decades ahead of its time. She was instrumental in ‘freeing’ the Child to nature, allowing them the freedom to learn as they developed their gardens. After WW2, and her incarceration in India, she settled in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The beautiful fields of tulips were a constant source of wonder to her, as an outward expression of her love of nature.
In 1946 she settled in 161 Koninginneweg, CN Amsterdam, where she lived until 1952. This house still stands, and now houses the AMI Headquarters.
She died, gazing out the window at the tulips, she loved, in the family holiday home at Noordwijk aan Zee, in Holland.
The 2 images below are courtesy Jessica of Montessori Child
