's Lands Zeemagazijn (arsenal) in 2012The yard viewed from the north, late 18th century, by Mortier Covens en Zoon
In the time of the Dutch republic naval affairs were handled by 5 local admiralties. The Admiralty of Amsterdam was the most important of these. The First Anglo-Dutch War proved the need for a professional navy. On 12 August 1655, the admiralty therefore got the entire western strip of Kattenburg island for the construction of an arsenal and ship yard. The arsenal was quickly constructed on the southern extremity of Kattenburg island in 1656. It was called 's Lands Zeemagazijn and now houses the National Maritime Museum.
The rest of Kattenburg island stretches north along the Kattenburgerstraat. On the west side of this street the former yard is still enclosed by a very long seventeenth century building and a long old wall that reaches almost to the north end of Kattenburg Island. The slipways of the yard were immediately on the other (west) side of this enclosure.
From the arsenal and the north end of Kattenburg, dams reached to the west, and enclosed an almost square stretch of water called 's lands Dok. In this dock the ships of the admiralty could lay In ordinary. This was the usual condition for warships in the time of the Dutch republic. Upper parts of the mast, most of the rigging, sails, guns etc. were removed, and stored in the adjacent arsenal. Almost the whole the dock has now been filled up, and is occupied by modern buildings.
State ship yard in the French period
The slipways are left (north) of the arsenal, behind these the enclosure, c. 1710
The events of 1795 created the Batavian Republic, the start of the French period in the Netherlands. The admiralties were replaced by a national committee for naval affairs. It meant that all assets of the admiralties were nationalized, leading to 5 state ship yards. In 1806 the Kingdom of Holland became the owner of the shipyard. In 1811 this kingdom was annexed by Napoleon's empire, making the yard an imperial French ship yard. This came to an end in late 1813, when the Netherlands became independent again. The French period was a disaster for Dutch shipping. It could have become a disaster for the yard, because of the construction of Willemsoord, a naval base near Den Helder, and a possible competitor.
The Rijkswerf
Ship yard in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
The founding of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 meant a new start for 's Rijks Werf (national yard) Amsterdam. However, the context of 1815 was very different from that of 1795. The French time had been utterly ruinous for the Dutch economy. It caused that the nation could no longer afford a naval budget comparable to that of major European powers. Apart from that, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was a state focusing on its place in a coalition that should keep France in check, and was therefore focused on its army.
General circumstances were not conducive for much activity on the yard, but on a national scale the Rijkswerf Amsterdam was lucky. While Willemsoord remained as a naval base and was greatly expanded, the proponents of moving shipbuilding over there did not get their way. Most of the few new ships of the line and frigates that were built, were laid down in Amsterdam again, with Vlissingen and Rotterdam also having a share. In 1816 the remnants of the 'competing' navy yard in Harlingen were sold.[1] In 1828 the Rijkswerf Medemblik was shut down.
A difficult start (1830-1850)
The united kingdom broke up in 1830. The final acts were the Ten Days' Campaign, the Siege of Antwerp (1832) and an English fleet blockading the Dutch coast, all ruinous for the state's finances. The secession of Belgium also stripped the coal and iron deposits from the Dutch state, a further disaster during the Industrial Revolution. It all led to rigorous economizing on the navy. The Rijkswerf Rotterdam would close in 1850. Meanwhile, the Rijkswerf Amsterdam built a lot of small paddle steamers.
Screw Propulsion (1850-1860)
By the early 1850s the only Dutch state yards left were those in Vlissingen and Amsterdam. Meanwhile, the Dutch state had found a new source of wealth in the Cultivation System implemented in the East Indies. It meant that more money became available for the navy, and investments went to these two establishments. This was just as well, because the invention of screw propulsion had just obsoleted the entire fleet of sail and paddle-steam ships that the Dutch had. The biggest screw ships that the Dutch needed, the steam frigates, were built in Vlissingen because of their draught. The Rijkswerf would build a large number of steam corvettes.
Facilities for armoring ships
When foreign powers started to armor their ships, the Dutch authorities decided to create facilities for armoring in Vlissingen, not in Amsterdam. This was a sound decision, because Vlissingen was the only Dutch harbor that had access to water deep enough to launch ships that could stand up to the biggest ships that foreign powers brought to bear.
In 1867 the Dutch government decided to move the armoring facilities to the Rijkswerf Amsterdam. This decision had to do with the overall defensive strategy that centered on only defending the places behind the Dutch Water Line.
Building armored ships
The first armored ships that the Rijkswerf Amsterdam constructed were copies of foreign ships that the Dutch navy had purchased. HNLMSCerberus is a prime example.
A steel ship, was laid down on 27 August 1884 at the ¨Rijkswerf¨ in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She was launched on 24 June 1885 and taken into service on 16 February 1886 as training ship of the RNLN. She was taken out of service on 1 April 1908 and converted to be used consecutively as lodging and training ship until 1926 when she was permanently taken out of service.
Was laid down on 22 July 1897 at the ¨Rijkswerf¨ in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, launched on 14 July 1898 and taken into service on 1 March 1901. She was taken out of service on 12 September 1905, overhauled during 1906–1907 at the ¨Rijkswerf¨ in Amsterdam and put into service again on 13 October 1908. Sold to be dismantled on 28 May 1913 in Amsterdam.
The naval history of the Netherlands dates back to the 15th century. As overseas trade was a traditional cornerstone of the Dutch economy, naval defence was indispensable for the protection of commercial interests.
Willemsoord is a large former naval base of the Royal Netherlands Navy in Den Helder. It is now connected to the city center of Den Helder, and focuses on entertainment and tourism.
Jean Jacques Rambonnet was a Dutch naval officer and politician. Reaching the rank of vice admiral, he served as Minister of the Navy, Acting Minister of Colonies, and Acting Minister of War. He was also a member of the Council of State and, among other things, a knight in the Military Order of William. He also played an important role in Scouting in the Netherlands and served as the only Chief Scout of the Netherlands prior to 2021.
HNLMS Koning der Nederlanden was an iron-hulled ironclad ramtorenschip built by the Rijkswerf at Amsterdam for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the early 1870s. She was the largest ship to serve in the Dutch Navy during the 19th century. The ship was converted to a barracks ship in the late 1890s and stationed in Surabaya in the Dutch East Indies. Koning der Nederlanden was scuttled in Surabaya on 2 March 1942, during the Battle of Java, to prevent her capture by the Japanese.
HNLMS Koningin Wilhelmina der Nederlanden was a unique protected cruiser of the Royal Netherlands Navy built by the Rijkswerf in Amsterdam.
The Atjeh class was a class of unprotected cruisers of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The class comprised Atjeh, Tromp, Koningin Emma der Nederlanden, De Ruyter, Van Speyk and Johan Willem Friso.
HNLMS Koningin Regentes was a Koningin Regentes-class coastal defence ship (pantserschip) of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The ship was built at the Rijkswerf in Amsterdam at the start of the twentieth century. After the eruption of the Mount Pelée volcano on the French island of Martinique the ship provided assistance to the casualties, and then later participated in an expedition to the island of Bali in 1906. She made several journeys to show the Dutch flag and was finally decommissioned in 1920.
HNLMS Holland was a Holland-class protected cruiser of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
HNLMS Koningin Emma der Nederlanden was an Atjeh-class unprotected cruiser of the Royal Dutch Navy.
HNLMS Cerberus, was a Heiligerlee-class monitor built in Amsterdam for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the 1860s. Cerberus was a true monitor: a ship with shallow draught, only a few (heavy) guns and decent armor. These characteristics made her very suitable to operate way inland in the Dutch delta.
The Djambi class was a class of steam corvettes of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The class comprised Djambi, Zoutman, Willem, Leeuwarden, Metalen Kruis and Curaçao. Later two ships of a supposedly 'slightly revised' type were built, the Zilveren Kruis-class corvettes.
The Groningen class was a class of steam corvettes of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The class comprised Groningen, Citadel van Antwerpen and Vice-Admiraal Koopman
The Evertsen class was a class of steam frigates of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The class comprised Evertsen and Zeeland
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.
HNLMS Adolf van Nassau was a unique ship built for the Royal Netherlands Navy.
The Vesuvius class was a class of steam screw sloops of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The class comprised Vesuvius, Cornelis Dirks, Reinier Claessen, Het Loo, Reteh and Prinses Maria.
Abraham Johannes de Smit van den Broecke (Aardenburg, 13 May 1801 - Oost-Souburg, was a career officer of the Royal Dutch Navy and a conservative minister for the navy.
Hellevoetsluis Dry Dock is a historic double dry dock in Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands. It was constructed between 1798 and 1822 under the direction of Jan Blanken, and was part of the former Rijkswerf Hellevoetsluis. The dock is one of the rare surviving double dry docks. It is a national monument, and is in operation as part of the maritime attraction 'Dry Dock Jan Blanken',.
Vlissingen Navy Drydock is a dry dock in Vlissingen. It is the oldest dry dock of the Netherlands, and is now a tourist attraction known as Dok van Perry.
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.
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