Amstelhof
Encyclopedia
The Amstelhof is a former retirement home and now home to the Hermitage Amsterdam
museum. It was built near the Amstel
river in 1682 by the diaconate of the Dutch Reformed Church
after having received an inheritance of the rich merchant Barent Helleman. He died on 18 October 1680 and left approximately 90,000 guilders to the church. The city of Amsterdam
donated the land on which it was built.
facade
on the Amstel with a length 102 m, at the time the longest facade of Amsterdam. It has a symmetric map with a large courtyard
. Around two secondary courtyard lie wings with rooms for the ladies: the chambrettes.
The centrally located monumental entrance leads to a fake door. The mayors at the time found an entrance with steps a necessity for a building of such stature. Directly behind the door is the church hall, which could not serve as entrance. Above the door the original name "Diaconate Old Women's Home anno 1681" is written.
for 15 years and member of the church for 10 years.
After more than three centuries as retirement home, the last inhabitants left in 2007 to two new properties in Diemen
and Nieuw-Vennep
. Despite various modifications over the years, it no longer met current standards.
of Saint Petersburg
. The museum was opened on 20 June 2009 by Dutch Queen Beatrix
and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev
.
Hermitage Amsterdam
Hermitage Amsterdam is a dependency of the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg on the Amstel river in Amsterdam. The dependency is located at the former Amstelhof, a classical style building from 1681. The dependency has been displaying small exhibitions in a side building next to the Amstelhof...
museum. It was built near the Amstel
Amstel
The Amstel is a river in the Netherlands which runs through the city of Amsterdam. The river's name is derived from Aeme stelle, old Dutch for "area abounding with water"....
river in 1682 by the diaconate of the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
after having received an inheritance of the rich merchant Barent Helleman. He died on 18 October 1680 and left approximately 90,000 guilders to the church. The city of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
donated the land on which it was built.
Design
The building was designed by city architect Hans van Petersom. It has a classical styleClassicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
on the Amstel with a length 102 m, at the time the longest facade of Amsterdam. It has a symmetric map with a large courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
. Around two secondary courtyard lie wings with rooms for the ladies: the chambrettes.
The centrally located monumental entrance leads to a fake door. The mayors at the time found an entrance with steps a necessity for a building of such stature. Directly behind the door is the church hall, which could not serve as entrance. Above the door the original name "Diaconate Old Women's Home anno 1681" is written.
Retirement home
At its opening in 1682 the home accommodated 400 ladies. Men weren't allowed until 1817. In order to qualify, women had to be at least 50 years of age, a resident of AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
for 15 years and member of the church for 10 years.
After more than three centuries as retirement home, the last inhabitants left in 2007 to two new properties in Diemen
Diemen
Diemen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands with a population of around 24,000. Diemen is located in the province of North Holland directly to the east of Amsterdam within the capital's metropolitan area.-Geography:...
and Nieuw-Vennep
Nieuw-Vennep
Nieuw-Vennep is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, and lies about 10 km southwest of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol....
. Despite various modifications over the years, it no longer met current standards.
Hermitage
Between 2007 and 2009 the building was extensively remodelled to become a museum, the Hermitage Amsterdam, a dependency of the Hermitage MuseumHermitage Museum
The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display,...
of Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. The museum was opened on 20 June 2009 by Dutch Queen Beatrix
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
.
External links
- History of the Building, Hermitage Amsterdam Amstelhof / Hermitage, City of Amsterdam