A critical movement in philology, and its affiliated branches of scholarship, that originated in Italy, reaching the Low Countriesand Germanyin the late 15th century. The tendency of re newal, especially in spiritual matters, reached its height in the devo tio moderna (of Thomas a Kempis, Geert Groote, and his congre gation of Windesheim, near the city of Zwolle), in the Circle of Aduard near the city of Groningen (including Wessel Gansfort and Rodolphus Agricola), and especially in the singular genius of Eras mus of Rotterdam.
See also Humanistisch verbond.
Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands. EdwART. 2012.