The West-Indisch Huis ("West India House") is the former headquarters of the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ( ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

. In this building, the Dutch West India Company's governors in 1625 ordered the construction of a fort on the island of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, laying the foundations for

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The West-Indisch Huis is located on the Herenmarkt, a small square between the Haarlemmerstraat and

Brouwersgracht The Brouwersgracht is a canal in Amsterdam that connects the Singel with the Singelgracht. The canal marks the northwestern border of the Grachtengordel (canal belt). Between the Prinsengracht and the Singelgracht the Brouwersgracht forms the n ...

canal in the center of Amsterdam. The building has municipal monument status and is in use as office space and venue for conferences, weddings and other events. The John Adams Institute, which aims to further cultural exchange between

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and the U.S., is housed in the building.

History

The building was constructed in 1617 as a meat market (on the ground floor) and waiting room for the local militia (on the upper floor). In 1623 it was rented by the Dutch West India Company, founded two years earlier, and was used until 1647 for meetings by the governing board of the Dutch West India Company. During this time the building was expanded with two wings around a central courtyard, tripling the size of the building. In 1647, the Dutch West India Company got into financial troubles and was forced to move to the West-Indisch Pakhuis, a Dutch West India Company warehouse on the IJ waterfront, which thereafter became known as the West-Indisch Huis. From 1660 the building was in use as gentlemen's lodgings (a hotel) and in 1825 it became a home for orphans and the elderly. The building underwent renovations that included removal of the high front porch and plastering of the facade. In 1975 a fire ravaged the building. The following year a foundation was set up to restore and manage the building. The restorations took place in the period 1978-1981, at a cost of 12 million guilders. In the courtyard, a fountain was placed with a bronze statue of

Peter Stuyvesant Peter Stuyvesant (; in Dutch also ''Pieter'' and ''Petrus'' Stuyvesant, ; 1610 – August 1672)Mooney, James E. "Stuyvesant, Peter" in p.1256 was a Dutch colonial officer who served as the last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Net ...

, governor of

New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the East Coast of the United States, east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territor ...

, the Dutch colony on the east coast of what is now the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Following renovation the building was allocated for elderly housing and taken into use as a municipal wedding hall.

John Adams Institute

The John Adams Institute (Dutch: ''Stichting John Adams Instituut''),, which aims to further cultural exchange between

and the U.S., is housed in the building. Founded in April 1987, it survives without Dutch government subsidy, relying on contributions, entrance fees, private donations, and Dutch and American corporate sponsors, and American Embassy Small Grants. The live event series ''American Literature Today'' interviews familiar authors, while ''American Focus'' present lecturers, scientists and other speakers who explore the broader aspects of American culture.

Related buildings

The West-Indisch Pakhuis (West India Warehouse) in Amsterdam served as headquarters of the Dutch West India Company from 1647 until 1674. From 1674 to 1795, the company was headquartered at the Voetboogdoelen in Amsterdam, which was known as ''West-Indisch Huis'' during this period. Other Dutch towns, including

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after R ...

, also had (or still have) a West-Indisch Huis. These served as headquarters for the local chambers of the Dutch West India Company. In addition to the West-Indisch Huis, Amsterdam also has an

Oost-Indisch Huis The Oost-Indisch Huis (Dutch for "East India House") is an early 17th-century building in the centre of Amsterdam. It was the headquarters of the Amsterdam chamber of the Dutch East India Company (''Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie'' or VOC) ...

("East India House") which served as headquarters for the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

References

Sources

Vrienden van de Amsterdamse Binnenstad
(Dutch)
Gemeente Amsterdam, Stadsdeel Centrum: West-Indisch Huis
(Dutch)

(Dutch) {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Amsterdam Buildings and structures completed in 1617 Dutch West India Company 1617 establishments in the Dutch Republic Buildings and structures associated with the Dutch West India Company