Admiraliteitslijnbaan, Amsterdam

Last updated
Ropewalk of the Admiralty of Amsterdam
Admiraliteitslijnbaan
Admiraliteitslijnbaan oostenburgergracht amsterdam.jpg
Admiraliteitslijnbaan, Amsterdam
General information
AddressOostenburgergracht 79-81
Town or city Amsterdam
Country Netherlands
Coordinates 52°22′5″N4°55′29″E / 52.36806°N 4.92472°E / 52.36806; 4.92472
Designations Rijksmonument
Commemorative plaque for Czar Peter the Great, who may have stayed here in 1697 during his apprenticeship at the Amsterdam shipyards Gedenksteen peter de grote admiraliteitslijnbaan amsterdam.jpg
Commemorative plaque for Czar Peter the Great, who may have stayed here in 1697 during his apprenticeship at the Amsterdam shipyards
Caspar Commelin's 1693 print showing the ropewalks of the Admiralty of Amsterdam and the Dutch East India Company Caspar Commelin - 's Lands en Oost Indische Lynbanen (1693).jpg
Caspar Commelin's 1693 print showing the ropewalks of the Admiralty of Amsterdam and the Dutch East India Company

The Admiraliteitslijnbaan (Ropewalk of the Admiralty of Amsterdam) is a 17th-century building on Oostenburgergracht canal in Amsterdam. It has held rijksmonument status since 1970. [1] A plaque on one side of the building commemorates Czar Peter the Great, who may have stayed here in 1697 during his apprenticeship at the Amsterdam shipyards. [2]

Contents

The Admiraliteitslijnbaan originally served as the front building of the ropewalk of the Admiralty of Amsterdam. The covered ropewalk behind the building stretched some 500 meters to the IJ bay, between the Oostenburgervaart canal and Conradstraat.

The trapezoid-shaped facade dates to 1660 and is richly decorated with festoons, two oeil-de-boeuf -windows and niches with arched tops, some stretching vertically over both floors. The top of the facade is decorated with a sculpture of two lions with bronze swords resting against a coat of arms showing two crossed blue anchors, the symbol of the Admiralty of Amsterdam. The same coat of arms has also been incorporated into the festoons. [1]

Adjacent to the building is the Ropewalk of the Dutch East India Company, which also dates to 1660. The ropewalks behind the buildings no longer exist. It is now a residential area with street names that refer to the history of the location, such as Compagniestraat, Touwbaan and Admiraliteitstraat.

History

Around 1655, the wharfs of the Admiralty of Amsterdam were moved to the islands of Kattenburg and Oostenburg. The Admiraliteitslijnbaan was constructed on Oostenburg in 1660 as a ropewalk and warehouse for the ships of the Admiralty. The area stretched some 500 meters and was surrounded by thick stone walls, as the tar pots and tarred wood used in the ropewalk were a serious fire hazard. There were two separate ropewalks: a large ropewalk where thick cables were made and a smaller one for ropework and other activities. The attics were used for storage. [3]

On 12 January 1673, after a fire broke out at the Admiraliteitslijnbaan, it was put out using fire hoses with fog nozzles designed by Jan van der Heyden, the first time such fog nozzles were used. [4]

After the Admiralty was dissolved in 1795, the building came to be known as 's Rijks Lijnbaan or 's Lands Lijnbaan (National Ropewalk). Over the course of the 19th century, the building and adjacent Ropewalk of the Dutch East India Company were left to slowly decay. In 1887 the ropewalks had become so derelict that they were closed. Around 1920 the ropewalks were demolished, and only the front buildings were left standing. The area was then used as a military storage facility where military vehicles, clothing, gear and other goods were stored. The area remained in military use until 1983. In 1985, the storage buildings were occupied by squatters. This lasted until 1988, when the squatters were evicted and the buildings were demolished. [2] [5]

On 25 September 1947, a plaque showing Czar Peter the Great was attached to one side of the building. The plaque commemorates that Peter the Great may have stayed there in 1697 during his apprenticeship at the Amsterdam shipyards. [2]

Restoration

The building underwent restoration during the period 1949–1950. The western part of the building was subsequently occupied by the Werkspoormuseum, while the eastern part remained a residence. The facade was left largely intact, although the window arrangement was changed. During the restoration, the lion sculpture was added to the top of the facade. This sculpture originally stood on the back facade of the ropewalk complex and had, after the demolition around 1920, ended up in the garden of the National Maritime Museum. A back facade was also added to the building, created out of bricks from demolished warehouses on Bickersgracht canal. The year 1949 is shown on the back facade. Inside, most of the woodwork was replaced. Only the mantelpiece survived World War II, the rest of the woodwork was removed by local residents and used as firewood during the war. The museum opened in 1950, and on 29 July of that year, the restored building was officially opened by then-mayor Arnold Jan d'Ailly. [2] [6] The museum closed its doors in 2011.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Holland Island</span> Island in Russia

New Holland Island is a historic triangular artificial island in central Saint Petersburg, Russia, dating from the 18th century. It is also known as Admiralty Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Admiralty of Amsterdam</span> One of the five admiralties of the Dutch Republic

The Admiralty of Amsterdam was the largest of the five Dutch admiralties at the time of the Dutch Republic. The administration of the various admiralties was strongly influenced by provincial interests. The territory for which Amsterdam was responsible was limited to the city itself, the Gooi region, the islands of Texel, Vlieland and Terschelling, the province of Utrecht and the Gelderland quarters of Arnhem and of the Graafschap (county) of Zutphen. Amsterdam had developed into the most important of all the admiralties and often compensated for the other admiralties' deficiencies. When the "Committee for Naval Affairs" replaced the Admiralty Colleges on 27 February 1795 during the reforms by the Batavian Republic, the lower civil servants were kept on, but the officers were dismissed.

The Admiralty of Rotterdam, also called the Admiralty of de Maze, was one of the five Dutch admiralties in the Dutch Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNSM Island</span> Neighborhood of Amsterdam in Netherlands

The KNSM Island is a man-made island in the Eastern Docklands of Amsterdam. KNSM stands for the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot-Maatschappij, the Royal Dutch Steamboat Shipping company which used to have its headquarters and its docks on the island. It is now a large residential area containing modern architecture with a mostly well-off population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grachtengordel</span> World Heritage Site in North Holland, Netherlands

The Grachtengordel is a neighborhood in Amsterdam, Netherlands located in the Centrum district. The seventeenth-century canals of Amsterdam, located in the center of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in August 2010. The Amsterdam Canal District consists of the area around the city's four main canals: the Singel, the Herengracht, the Keizersgracht, and the Prinsengracht. From the Brouwersgracht, the canals are generally parallel with one another, leading gradually southeast into the Amstel river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lastage</span> Neighbourhood of Amsterdam in North Holland, Netherlands

Lastage is a neighborhood in the Centrum borough of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is located between the Geldersekade and Oudeschans canals, just east of old medieval city. Today, the neighbourhood is also known as Nieuwmarktbuurt due to the fact that the Nieuwmarkt is comprised in the area; it is protected as a heritage site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werkspoor</span> Machine manufacturer in the Netherlands

Werkspoor N.V. was the shortened, and later the official name of the Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel. It was a Dutch machine factory, known for rolling stock, (ship) steam engines, and diesel engines. It was a successor of the company Van Vlissingen en Dudok van Heel, later named Koninklijke Fabriek van Stoom- en andere Werktuigen. In 1954 Werkspoor was merged with Stork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trippenhuis</span> Neoclassical canal mansion in Amsterdam

The Trippenhuis is a neoclassical canal mansion in the centre of Amsterdam. It was built in 1660–1662 for the wealthy Amsterdam weapons traders Louis and Hendrick Trip. Many references to weaponry can be seen on its facade. Since 1887 it has been the seat of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waag, Amsterdam</span> 15th-century weigh house in Amsterdam

The Waag is a 15th-century building on Nieuwmarkt square in Amsterdam. It was originally a city gate and part of the walls of Amsterdam. Later it served as a guildhall, museum, fire station and anatomical theatre, among other things.

The Kadijken, also known as Kadijkseiland[kɑˈdɛiks.ɛiˌlɑnt] or Kadijkenbuurt[kɑˈdɛikə(m)ˌbyːrt], is a neighbourhood to the north of Artis zoo in the centre of Amsterdam. The name "Kadijken" is the plural form of Kadijk and refers to the two main streets that traverse the neighbourhood, Hoogte Kadijk and Laagte Kadijk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mozes en Aäronkerk</span>

The Moses and Aaron Church, in the Waterlooplein neighborhood of Amsterdam, is officially the Roman Catholic Church of St. Anthony of Padua. Originally a clandestine church, it was operated by Franciscan priests at a house on Jodenbreestraat ["Jewish Broad Street"], where the wall tablets of Moses and Aaron hung on the wall. In 1970, the present church was designated as a Cultural Heritage Monument of the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agnietenkapel</span> Church in Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Agnietenkapel is a 15th-century Gothic chapel in Amsterdam. It is the birthplace of the University of Amsterdam and still in use for doctoral dissertations and other university ceremonies, as well as academic events such as lectures and symposiums. The building has held rijksmonument status since 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Are Here (collective)</span> Human rights campaign of migrants in Amsterdam

We Are Here is a collective of migrants based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, which campaigns for human rights for its members and all undocumented migrants. The asylum seekers have in many cases had their applications to remain in the Netherlands denied but they either cannot go back or refuse to return to their country of origin. They demand access to social services such as medical care and housing. The group formed in 2012 and by 2015 contained over 200 migrants from around 15 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nieuwe Keizersgracht</span> Canal in Amsterdam

The Nieuwe Keizersgracht is a canal in Amsterdam, part of the eastern Grachtengordel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entrepotdok</span> Canal in Amsterdam

The Entrepotdok, formerly Nieuwe Rapenburgergracht, is a canal in Amsterdam, and a street and row of former warehouses with the same name along the northeast side of the canal. They were constructed between 1708 and 1829, used for storage, squatted in the 1990s and are now converted into apartments. Entrepotdok is the largest inhabited warehouse complex in Amsterdam. The canal runs between the Kadijksplein and Sarphatistraat, and is parallel to Hoogte Kadijk, Laagte Kadijk, Plantage Doklaan and Natura Artis Magistra zoo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nieuwe Vaart</span> Canal in Amsterdam

The Nieuwe Vaart or Nieuwevaart is a 17th-century canal in Amsterdam that runs from the center to Amsterdam-Oost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oostenburgervaart</span> Canal in Amsterdam

The Oostenburgervaart is a canal in the center of Oostenburg island, one of the Oostelijke Eilanden in Amsterdam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vlissingen Naval Base</span> Dutch naval base

Vlissingen Naval Base was a base for the Admiralty of Zeeland, and later the Dutch Navy. It has a number of major marine facilities of historic significance. It housed a shipyard for the Admiralty of Zeeland, and the national shipyard Rijkswerf Zeeland. Shipyard de Schelde would take over the grounds of the Rijkwerf, and still continues to build warships as Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ubica</span> Hotel and former squat in Utrecht

The Ubica buildings are two adjacent buildings standing at 24 and 26 Ganzenmarkt, in central Utrecht, the Netherlands. Number 24 is a rijksmonument. The first recorded mention of the buildings is from 1319. After centuries of residential use, the buildings were bought by the Ubica mattress company in 1913 and used until a devastating fire in 1989. The buildings were then squatted for 21 years, before being redeveloped into a hotel and café-restaurant in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oosterdok</span> Historic site in Amsterdam

The Oosterdok is a former wet dock in Amsterdam. It was created in 1831-1832 by constructing the Oosterdoksdam and the Oosterdoksluis, forming a reliable deep port closed off from the tidal IJ.

References

See also