About this blog and The Berlagebrug

A few months ago I started to make these long walks along the Amstel. While strolling along the Weesperzijde I had a nice view over the river and all the houses on the Amsteldijk. The pitch black water, the grey capricious skies, the lights, the reflections. Sometimes I was imagining the Amstel to be a continuous stream of black ink just streaming into the city.

On the Berlagebrug there are these little extensions (erkers) from where you have a nice position to watch the river float gently into the city. While standing there one evening I realized that I live now for more then half of my life in Amsterdam. 22 years is quite a long time and at that moment it felt like the right moment to do something with it. I decided to take my camera with me while browsing the Amstel river and this strange city; that I never called my hometown but I think I will from now on.

12 - 10 - 2011, Sander Haccou

Berlage Brug

Museumplein 18-04-2013

Ferdinand Bol

Sarphatipark

Gerard Douplein

Ostadetheater

It's almost as if this photo of the Ostadetheater was taken on a very comfortable, warm summer evening. However, it was again freezing cold this evening of the 23rd of March. 

Roei- en Zeilvereniging De Amstel

Rijksmuseum Count Down

The other side of the J.J. Viottastraat

Willemsparkschool

Memlingstraat

Looking at Okura

Rijnbar

Frieslandbank after sunset

't Blauwe Theehuis

Weesperzijde

Hotel Sander

Hotel Sander is located in the Jacob Obrechtstraat 69, wich is in the museum quarter of the city. There are not so many pictures of this area on my blog but maybe I will focus on it in the next series. The area has a certain loaded atmosphere but it's hard to define what it exactly is.  I feel it strongly while walking through De Lairessestraat, but also in the Jacob Obrechtstraat I sense this odd combination of prosperity,  melancholy and void.

Apollo First

During the second world war the main quarter of the Sicherheitsdienst was installed in the Meisjes HBS in the Euterpestraat (now Gerrit van der Veenstraat). A long time ago I posted some photo's of this building on my blog. 

On the other side of the street there was another school located were the Zentrastelle für Jüdische Auswanderung was housed. The Zentralstelle was responsible for the deportation of the jews in Holland. The arrested people were gathered in the gym of the school before they went on transport to camp Westerbork. Later the nazi's used the Hollandsche Schouwburg in the Plantage Middenlaan for this purpose.

On sunday the 26th of november 1944, all these buildings were bombed by the Allied Forces. The Zentralstelle was half destroyed and the SD mainquarter was seriously damaged. The Sicherheitsdienst moved their quarters to the Apollo First Hotel in the Apollolaan where they stayed untill the liberation. Unfortunately most of the jewish people in Amsterdam were already deported by than.

Picture 156 Museumplein in December 2012

Apollo House seen from the side

Water behind the H. Heijermansweg

Europaplein

21-11-2012 (looking at Oost)

Rembrandttoren

Ceintuurbaan

Van Ostadestraat

Looking at the Weteringschans

Hotel

Since I live here these houses on the Stadhouderskade didn't change at all, I think. And perhaps the hotel curtains were never washed either in these 22 years. But maybe I'm wrong? I always love this corner because it has something anonymous. It could be in Belgium or in France or maybe even in Germany. In that respect the area is the exact opposite of home. However, the idea of longing is still present somehow. It was november 15, 2012 when I took this picture.

Bartholomeus Ruloffsstraat

Hilton from the other side

Christie's

Muzenplein Oktober 2012

Stedelijk Museum

It's been a while since my last post. The new Stedelijk Museum opened it's doors some weeks ago. Maybe I will post more pictures of the museum in a later stage. All the glass and lights make it an interesting motive, especially in the dark.

Wyndham Apollo

Remonstrantse Kerk Diepenbrockstraat

Van der Helstplein in the fall

Henriette Ronnerplein

Remise Lekstraat

Raadhuis van Nieuwer-Amstel

This strange beautiful building used to be the town hall of the department Nieuwer Amstel, what is now Amstelveen. It was build in a neo renaissance style in the year 1890. From 1914 untill 2007 the city ​​Archives were housed here. Right behind the building is the Diamond factory of Asscher, that I mentioned in an earlier post already. The plan was to transform the building into a hotel in the future. As we all know the financial crisis frustrates all architectural projects and renovations. The architect is Roelof Kuipers.

R.Vinkeleskade on a summer evening

Looking at the Zuid-As

Monument Apollolaan

De Harmoniehof

mineralen fossielen

Van Gogh Museum in July

Wisteria's in the Gerard Terborgstraat

Montessorischool Albrecht Dürerstraat

Willemsparkschool in July

Reinier Vinkeleskade in June

Amsteldijk

It was June 20 when I walked along the Weesperzijde and made this photograph. Slightly left we see the Okura Hotel again with the peculiar pink glow that comes from the top.