Amsterdam Then & Now #7 : Museumplein (Museum Square)

Museumplein, where to start? If the Museumplein in Amsterdam were a man, he would be extremely old by now, have the weirdest stories to tell, have had tons of hair transplants, and have almost every bone in his body replaced.

You might know the Museumplein because you once visited the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum or the Stedelijk Museum. Maybe even from the Concertgebouw that I wrote about earlier. To you, it might just be any other square that connects everything around it, a grassy field that is more often muddy than grassy...

Weird things happen on Museumplein...Source (1895)

Earliest image

One of the earliest images that I could find in the Amsterdam archives of this area is from around 1786. It shows members of the Schutterij, which was some sort of city guard to protect cities like Amsterdam in this case. It is a similar group as what you can see in The Night Watch by Rembrandt.

But basically, they were a bunch of fanatics in a club very fond of their guns they "needed" to protect their world... (Sounds familiar? Only 232 years ago). They would practise just outside the city walls. And this drawing was made at a ceremony around the change of the flags.

Source (1786)

Exploring the purpose of Museumplein

So, it was just a typical Dutch landscape back then. Meadow, windmills and a few farms. It was almost 100 years later that the city of Amsterdam was so full that they had to think about building outside of the outermost canal. Below you can see a map of Amsterdam (left) from 1875 where the foundation for the Museumplein is drawn into the map. On the right, you see a current aerial view of Amsterdam where you can see the Museumplein located just on the edge of the old city centre (bottom of the map).

---

As part of the plan around the construction of the Rijksmuseum, they started thinking about the area south of the museum. The Concertgebouw was part of these plans. And the idea was to create an almost symmetrical plaza. But due to many other plans, it took a while before it really turned into something like the square that it is today.

World Exhibitions

Around 1883, it was still a huge wasteland. A World's Fair would take place in Amsterdam that year and they decided to turn this area into a huge colonial exhibition show. In no time, the wasteland was filled with many temporary buildings. The country was ready to present their colonial trade and wealth.

---

The fair brought roughly a million tourists to Amsterdam that year and as a result, many famous hotels were built around that time.

Ice skating & other sports

During winters the Museumplein was used for ice skating (Are you paying attention, Katie Couric?). They build an ice skating club building. It was pretty serious business, because, at the end of the 19th century, they held many international speed skating competitions, like the first official world championship in 1893. The ice club stayed here until 1940.

Skating on the Museumplein. Source (1885)

It has always been an area with a lot of activity. Speed skating competitions in winter, bicycle races, gymnastics and tennis in the summer and often parties and smaller or larger exhibitions. Even if there was a plan to build houses in the square, there was never the right time to do it. And with all the activity going on, I assume people liked their playground just a little too much to give it up for houses.

Gymnastics in Museumplein. Source (ca. 1900)

Another Exhibition

It was 1895 when they held the most extravagant fair of all on the Museumplein, one around hotels and travel. This exposition explains the weird ship located on the Museumplein in the opening photo. Below you can see the construction of it all. They dug a fake canal, build the ship and constructed many fake buildings. Together it was supposed to represent a Dutch old town... (Why not just show them downtown Amsterdam?)

Construction of fair terrain. Source (1895)

Inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina

During my research for this blog, I discovered that there never really was a dull moment on the Museumplein. Just finished pulling down the last exhibition and it was time to start constructing something new again. This time the Museumplein was the stage of a parade and sports-demo for the inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina in 1898. It made sense because it was already the hot-spot for everything sports related in Amsterdam.

Quiet

Quiet years followed where the Museumplein was mostly the stage of sports, fun and celebrations. During the first world war (The Netherlands was neutral during that war), it also became the stage of many peace and political demonstrations.

Second World War & aftermath

During WWII, the Museumplein turned into a wasteland with a couple of bunkers. Early 1943, the Germans were getting nervous because they were under attack everywhere. They decided to build a defensive area around their former German consulate (now US consulate). Shortly after the war, it became clear that the combination of many years of ice skating (and the clay needed for the rink), the marching soldiers and heavy tanks ruined the grass so much that it started the year-long struggle with growing grass on the Museumplein. It was time for completely redesigning the Museumplein. It was 1953 when they removed the bunkers to then build the ugliest street in Amsterdam...Just straight through the middle of the Museumplein.

---

Demolition of the bunkers with concertgebouw in the background. Source (1953)

Redesigning again and again...

So what do you do with a place that was a happy place until the war? Where the grass doesn't grow anymore? You just put a massive road straight through it. Despite the many protests, the city turned the area into a massive transportation hub with a bus station (where the bunkers were located), many trams and this road that was soon used mostly as a parking spot for tourist buses. The road was called the "600-meter racetrack" by the locals and many accidents have happened here.

Source (ca. 1970s)

That much-hated road stayed there until 1997 when a huge remodelling of the Museumplein started. A large parking space was built underground, the road was removed and replaced by grass. At the same time, an extra wing was built for the Van Gogh Museum. The area was finished with a triangular raised grassy area that is the roof of a supermarket and gives an amazing view of the square during events.

---

Are we done?

I really adore this bit of Amsterdam, now that it is in this shape. It somehow got the old feel back of a spot for fun and activity. On a regular basis, there are events planned on the square. And like it was never gone, ever winter you can go ice skating.

Minor redesigns still happen and they struggle with the grass that gets ruined easily and doesn't grow back. Often you will see closed areas to give the grass some chance to grow.

If you see what happens to the grass on days like King's day (former Queen's day, but we have a king now), you might understand why they don't have these massive concerts on the Museumplein anymore. Too bad, because it was the most awesome thing ever! I hope it will return one day. Because as you can see, it's been a bit of a tradition since 1900 😀.