Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [56]
The Jodenhoek remained a neglected corner of the city well into the 1970s, when the battered remnants took another hit with the large-scale demolition that preceded the construction of the metro beneath Waterlooplein. By these means, the prewar Jodenhoek disappeared almost without trace, the notable exception being the imposing Esnoga and the four connected synagogues of the Ashkenazi Jews, now the Joods Historisch Museum. The district’s other main sight is the Rembrandthuis, which features special exhibitions on the artist’s work, life and times.
The Old Jewish Quarter and Eastern docklands | The Old Jewish Quarter |
Jodenbreestraat and the Rembrandthuis
Jodenbreestraat, the “Broad Street of the Jews”, was once the hub of Jewish activity in the city. Badly served by postwar development, this ancient thoroughfare is now short on charm, but in these unlikely surroundings, at no. 6, stands the Rembrandthuis (daily 10am–5pm; €8; www.rembrandthuis.nl), whose intricate facade is decorated by pretty wooden shutters and a graceful pediment. Rembrandt bought this house at the height of his fame and popularity, living here for almost twenty years and spending a fortune on its furnishings – an expense that ultimately contributed to his bankruptcy (see "Rembrandt’s progress"). An inventory made at the time details the huge collection of paintings, sculptures and art treasures he had amassed, almost all of which were confiscated after he was declared insolvent and forced to move to a more modest house on Rozengracht in the Jordaan in 1658. The city council bought the Jodenbreestraat house in 1907 and has revamped the premises on several occasions, most recently in 1999.
Entry is via the modern annex, but you’re soon into Rembrandt’s old house, where a string of period rooms has been restored to something resembling their appearance when the artist lived here – the reconstruction being based on the inventory. The period furniture is appealing enough, especially the dinky box-beds, and the great man’s studio is surprisingly large and well lit, but pride of place goes to the “Art Cabinet”, which is jam-packed with objets d’art and miscellaneous rarities reassembled here in line with the original inventory. There are African spears and shields, Pacific seashells, Venetian glassware and even busts of Roman emperors, all of which were meant to demonstrate Rembrandt’s wide interests and eclectic taste. The period rooms are also decorated with seventeenth-century Dutch paintings, but most are distinctly second-rate and none of them is actually a Rembrandt. The most interesting paintings are those by Rembrandt’s master in Amsterdam, Pieter Lastman (1583–1633) – not because of their quality, but rather because their sheer mawkishness demonstrates just how far Rembrandt soared above his artistic milieu.
Beyond the Art Cabinet, the rest of the Rembrandthuis is usually given over to temporary exhibitions on the artist and his contemporaries. Here also, space permitting, is the museum’s own collection of Rembrandt’s etchings, as well as several of the original copper plates on which he worked. It’s a large and varied collection, with the biblical illustrations usually attracting the most attention, though the studies of tramps and vagabonds are equally appealing.
The Old Jewish Quarter and Eastern docklands | The Old Jewish Quarter |
Gassan Diamonds
From the Rembrandthuis, it’s a couple of minutes’ walk to the Gassan Diamonds factory (frequent guided tours daily 9am–5pm; 45min; free; 020/622-5333, www.gassandiamonds.com), which occupies a large and imposing brick building dating from 1897 on Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat. Before World War II, many local Jews worked as diamond cutters and polishers, though there’s little sign of the industry in the area today – Gassan being the main exception. Traditionally, the city’s diamond workers were poorly paid and endured foul working conditions, but all this changed after the creation of the Diamond Workers