History

The whole world is built around Amsterdam' wrote the famous Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel in the seventeenth century. This century - being the Dutch Golden Age - was to Amsterdam a previously unexperienced period of prosperity. People came to the city for business or a decent living. The old town area became too small, so an extension was inevitable and three new main canals were dug out: Heren-, Keizers- and Prinsen-gracht. Between them cross-canals and -streets. Our quarter of '9 Streets' was constructed in the first half of the 17th century and was from the beginning until now dominated by trade and culture. The names of the streets remind us of the old artisans dealing with all kinds of skins for the leather-industry.

The area permits a general view of the architecture of all kinds of houses. Among these houses are the beautiful Vingboon-Houses and the building 'Felix Meritis'. The Felix Meritis-building dates from 1787. It was ordered by the Felix Meritis-Society. This society was guided by the enlightenment and the ideals of those days. In this building the first Amsterdam (oval) concert-hall was constructed. By means of concerts, lessons and tests the public was actively involved. With a short intermission it has always cleared the way for cultural purposes. Mozart was heard in the no longer exisiting municipal theater on the Keizersgracht. On the Herengracht you'll find the Biblical Museum.

The collection is quite diverse with in its heart the Book itself (the oldest dating from 1477), an important number of temple models, archeological finds from Egypt and so on.In the Gasthuismolensteeg nr. 7 you will find the Dutch Spectacles Museum. It reveals the history of spectacles over 700 years. In the neighbourhood of our quarter of the '9 Streets' is the Royal Palace, the former Town Hall, built in 1648, the Westerkerk where Rembrandt was buried and the Anne Frank House in which the Frank family was hiding from l942 until l944. Here Anne wrote her famous diary. Visit us and find for yourself that our '9 Streets' are an ideal framework to explore Amsterdam in all it's facets and richness. Moreover you'll have the experience that our quarter itself is an exclusive shopping area with an unmatched range of shops, studios, restaurants and hotels.