Robert Gorter’s student years

Robert Gorter’s student years, at age 20 with Nel Breteler, the girl friend of another student at the University of Amsterdam, leaving the house of Robert’s parents (by then, they had moved into a smaller house when all children had left the parenteral house) on their way to the wedding of his sister Ellen with Hans Geluk an engineer at Phillips in Eindhoven.

 

 Robert’s father, Willem Jacob Gorter, in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, where he stayed with his first daughter Rita almost every summer. He must have been 88 or 89 at this picture. He was always very fit and never sick. He would travel all alone around the world (Hawaii!) till his early 90’s.

 Robert’s father, Willem Jacob, at age 89 or 90, in Hawaii, where he would travel almost yearly all on his own

 These are the ashes of Jansje Dingena Gorter-Dik. Her ashes were spread out one day by Willem Jacob in a park close to his home in Oosterbeek. Jansje died from a stroke in their own house in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; it should have been a quick and painless death but because of modern medicine with all its life-support devices, she was not able to die in the Netherlands until 8 months later after her massive stroke.

Robert Gorter (age 19 or 20) as a medical student in Amsterdam, visiting his parents once or twice a month for a long weekend.

 Robert at age 20 in the back yard of the Headquarters of the Theosophical Society in Amsterdam. He was offered there a room to live while studying. Still at this age, he was very much involved in Theosophy and there were expectations from elderly Theosophists that he might be a leader of the next generation. Robert was extremely well-read in all the Theosophical literature and lectured already at that age for larger audiences on various topics, which needed to have thorough understanding of the body of knowledge of Theosophy

Here is a picture of Robert with Maria Dias, a young Indian woman, with whom he had been corresponding all through his teenage time. One day, when Robert was about 20 years old, she came and visited him in Amsterdam. She started studying art at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. This picture was made at the Dam Square in Amsterdam, in front of the Royal Palace. We know very little about the nature of this friendship between Maria and Robert. Maria was a daughter from a very well-known Indian Brahma family with a long tradition and at time, her father was the Minister of Agriculture in New Delhi. Also her sister visited Robert that same year. Maria was an absolutely astonishing beautiful woman, and people would drop off their bicycles in Amsterdam when she walked around.

Robert at age 20. At this time, he was a medical student at the University of Amsterdam and probably in his 3^rd year of study.

 Robert at age 20 as a medical student in Amsterdam.

At age 22, Robert Gorter decided to be financially completely independent after his parents tried to use their monthly support as a student in Amsterdam for intervening in his daily life (manipulation). Thus, for the last four years of his studies, he received a State Scholarship (which, as a gifted student,  he did not need to pay back after graduation). Still, also at that time scholarships were too large not to starve and too small to afford any extras like a book on philosophy or an opera ticket. So, he was offered a carrier as a photo model and a mini star actor. Here, one sees a Polaroid snap shot during the studio sessions of photos made for Phillips first generation color television sets. For months, his picture was used in Phillips advertisements and commercials.

 Robert as a photo model in the period that movies like “Bonnie & Clyde” were a hit!

Robert at the end of his medical studies at the University of Amsterdam at age 23 or 24. Obviously, the 1960’s had left their marks. But remember, although Robert was always there where the action was (he often initiated action), he never ever touched a drop of alcohol, smoked, used Cannabis. From outside, he looked like a hippy; from inside, he knew what he had to do and never left his track he had set for him at age 9.

Robert in the same period at age 23 or 24, but with a beard but in the same blue jeans jacket.

 Robert at age 22 and still living at the Overtoom, in the center of Amsterdam at the edge of the Vondelpark, in a commune with 8 other students, and which he had started at age 21.

Robert at age 23 and a typical picture of a child of the 1960’s; the period of the Flower Power, which started in San Francisco (Haight/Ashbury District): Do not make war but make love! This picture was made in Zandvoort. (From the early 1980’s, Robert would then live in this Haight/Asbury District as an Associate Clinical Professor of the University of California San Francisco Medical School)

Robert at age 23 at the beach of Zandvoort, taking a deep breath and watch the sunset during high summer time. On occasion, and if possible time wise or financially, Robert would go to Zandvoort to the beach and meditate at sunset and/or at night time.

 Robert at age 26 at his first anthroposophic medical seminar.

Robert at age 25 or 26 and a bit adjusted to his freshly started job as a physician in private practice at the Weteringschans in the center of Amsterdam.

Robert with two nurses (lesbian couple) from the Jellinek Kliniek in Amsterdam. In 1971, Robert had set up the very first methadone detox and maintenance program for heroine addicts on the European continent. A few years later, this initiative was formally incorporated into the Jellinek Kliniek, a large clinic for alcoholics. Here, Robert became one of the staff doctors (besides running his own doctor’s office and restaurant!) and got among his collaborators, these two wonderful women. This picture was taken at a Gay & Lesbian Liberation Festival in the Vondelpark in the center of Amsterdam.

Robert at age 32 or 33, at the beach of some Greek island. He went with a few friends (all medical doctors in crisis with their relationships but  not Robert!). Robert hates beach vacations and doing nothing. It probably shows in his face in this picture