De Burcht - the imposing exterior of the building
The colourful and stylish entry hall
Beautiful murals
colorful conference room
jugendstijl lamp
the board room
the club room
The serious faces of members of the union
Interesting plaque which reads in english: The pupils and young members, as a token of their gratitude and as a promise for the future, also for the A.N.W.B., had this boardroom decorated to mark the occasion of the 8-hour (work) day on 11 October 1911.
Tourists to the city of Amsterdam will no doubt visit all the famous attractions which tend to be in the city centre. Some might go further east to visit places like Artis - the local zoo; it depends on one’s interest. Although close to the zoo, not many would have heard of or visited De Burcht. It is just down the street from the zoo and was very important to the city and its countrymen.
So what is De Burcht? It is the oldest trade union building in the Netherlands. It was commissioned by the chairman, Henri Polak of the Algemeene Nederlandsche Diamantwerkers Bond (ANDB) (The General Dutch Diamond Union). It was the largest and richest trade union at the time. The famous Dutch architect, Hendrik Petrus Berlage designed and built De Burcht in 1899. The building is very impressive and is a monument for the labour movement. The name is very fitting as De Burcht means "Stronghold or fortress" in english. The building is beautiful - a sort of jugendstil castle with stained glass windows, colourful murals and the original furniture from that period.
The building is now a cultural and conference center. Although information is provided about the union's history, it is more a architectural landmark than museum. However, it still tells the tale of a time in history when an understanding/rather than a struggle needed to be established - between workers and companies to ensure better conditions for workers. A typical Dutch approach.
Walking around this beautiful building felt truly like stepping back in time.
All photos are my own