On July 27th, 1656, the Portuguese-Israelite Community excommunicated Baruch Spinoza. As a result, Spinoza was expelled from the Sephardic Jewish community and his family circle for life. After this, Spinoza went to live in the Latin school of Franciscus van den Ende. To earn his living, he learned to grind lenses.
In 1661, Spinoza moved from Amsterdam to Rijnsburg. About two years later, he moved to Voorburg and in May 1671, Spinoza went to live at Paviljoensgracht 72, the current Domus, a house built in 1646. Spinoza rented an attic room from the decorative painter Hendrik van der Spyck, who lived and worked there with his young family.
Spinoza was deeply affected by the gruesome murder of the De Witt brothers on August 20th, 1672, which took place close by. Spinoza declined a request to become a professor at the University of Heidelberg in 1673 in order to maintain his independence. He died in his own bed on February 21st, 1677.
Contemporaries described Spinoza as a gentle, quiet and modest man. His friends regarded Spinoza as a religious man, albeit very undogmatic.
