Jewish Museum opens exhibition on magic
Abracadabra links the history of Jewish illusionists with the Dutch magic tradition.
The Jewish Museum in Amsterdam is showing the exhibition Abracadabra – mysteries from Houdini to Hans Klok from 25 September. The exhibition runs until 29 March 2027 and explores the international and Dutch history of magic.
The exhibition begins with the development of modern stage magic around 1900. According to the curators, magicians increasingly left market squares and fairgrounds for theatres, where illusionists grew into stars with mass appeal.
An important part is the role of Jewish performers. The museum states that the stage offered opportunities to people who faced fewer prospects in other professions because of exclusion and occupational restrictions. Talent and performance counted for more than background in the theatre world, although this did not undo wider social exclusion.
The international names featured in the exhibition include Harry Houdini, Horace Goldin and the duo Alexander and Adelaide Herrmann. The Dutch magic family Bamberg is also highlighted. According to the museum information, the family was active in magic for six generations, and Theo Bamberg performed under the name Okito.
Hans Klok is contributing to the exhibition and is showing material from his collection. Visitors are also given explanations of the techniques behind vanishing acts, escapes and other illusions. The exhibition is designed for adults and children and includes sections where visitors can try out simple tricks themselves.
The Dutch history is given a place of its own in the story. The museum connects the international development of magic with locations in Amsterdam and with the history of Jewish performers in the Netherlands. The exhibition is therefore not just a presentation of tricks, but also a story about work, migration, opportunity and loss.
Abracadabra can be seen until 29 March 2027 at the Jewish Museum on Nieuwe Amstelstraat in Amsterdam. The exhibition is part of the Joods Cultureel Kwartier and is accessible with a museum ticket.
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The exhibition, its duration and location, and the illusionists named have been confirmed by publicly available museum and cultural information. The historical context is limited to what the exhibition itself reports about its themes.
- confirmed Abracadabra runs from 25 September 2026 to 29 March 2027. — The duration is listed on Museum.nl and I amsterdam. source
- confirmed The exhibition covers, among others, Houdini, Horace Goldin, Alexander and Adelaide Herrmann and Okito. — These names are mentioned in the official exhibition description. source
- confirmed The Bamberg family was active as magicians for six generations. — Mentioned in the museum information. source
- confirmed Hans Klok is contributing to the exhibition. — Museum.nl and See All This mention his involvement. source
Editor's note
The duration, location, principal figures and historical themes have been confirmed by museum and cultural listings. The interpretation of the exhibition as a story about opportunity and exclusion is explicitly derived as context from the museum information.Sources
- Abracadabra – mysteries from Houdini to Hans Klok — Museum.nl
- Abracadabra — I amsterdam
- Abracadabra — See All This
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „joods museum”
- Het Parool — „joods museum”
- Trouw — „joods museum”