Exhibitions

In Memoriam

The Deportation and Murder of Jewish, Roma and Sinti children, 1942-1945

10 February - 20 May 2012

The exhibition is based on the publication In Memoriam, de gedeporteerde en vermoorde Joodse, Roma en Sinti kinderen, 1942-1945, and consists of three parts. The names of all the 18,000 children who were deported and murdered can be seen on the glass panels in the exhibition area. In the main hall of the City Archives there will be a monumental presentation: a 70-metre-long table divided into four sections, displaying the photographs of 2,900 children, divided into the groups in which they were transported. The story of fifteen of the children is told in the exhibition area, where there is a display of documents showing the children’s names, the transport lists and the cards of the Jewish Council, as well as documents from the City Archives, such as family cards and reports of stolen bicycles. An extra display case is reserved for photographs and documents received after the book had been written. The aim of the exhibition is to make the children ‘visible’ again, thereby helping to restore their identity.

Kitty Hes (left), Henriëtte (Jetty) Hes, with their niece Yvonne Hes (center) in Jan van Galenpark, Amsterdam july 1939. Yvonne Hes survived the war and sent us this photo.

In Memoriam, de gedeporteerde en vermoorde Joodse, Roma en Sinti kinderen, 1942-1945, by Guus Luijters and Aline Pennewaard is published by Nieuw Amsterdam.

Isaac Israels in Amsterdam

15 June to 26 August 2012
Isaac Israels (Amsterdam 1865–The Hague 1934) is a well known Dutch Impressionist and close to famous artists like Monet and Renoir. He lived in Amsterdam from 1887 to 1905, and again in 1918, during which periods he produced numerous sketches, drawings, watercolours, pastels and paintings featuring the city. This atmospheric exhibition focuses on the Amsterdam of his times, the everyday life of the city, the lively streets, children playing, men hauling goods, dance halls, theatres, cafés, and the fair.

Women dacing at a dance hall on Zeedijk, c. 1892-1893.

New research has identified the location of many of these scenes, with some surprising results. Streets, outdoor cafés, shops, theatres and music halls have been traced, as have the houses where Israels worked. Some of the addresses are on canals such as Prinsengracht, Brouwersgracht, Leliegracht, and Leidsegracht, while other locations include Noordermarkt, Damrak, the Munt, the theatres Carré and Frascati, Oosterpark, and the Dapperbuurt and Pijp, which were both new neighbourhoods at the time.

Servants and factory girls occupy a special place in Israels's Amsterdam oeuvre, and they too will be on display at the exhibition.

The show will also draw on some illuminating new information that has emerged from the correspondence with author Frans Erens, which has not been studied before.

In addition to works from the City Archives' own collections, the exhibition will include items on loan from elsewhere: the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Museum, Haags Gemeentemuseum, Groninger Museum among others, and a number of private individuals have made items available on loan for this show. Many of these works have never been exhibited in public before.

The exhibition accompanies the publication of a book of the same title, written by Freek Heijbroek, curator at the Rijksmuseum, and Jessica Voeten, a journalist and freelance author.

Presentations in the main hall

In Memoriam

10 February - 20 May 2012

In Memoriam, the Deportation and Murder of Jewish, Roma and Sinti children, 1942-1945
A particularly striking part of the In Memoriam exhibition can be seen in the hall: a 70-metre-long table divided into four sections, displaying 2,900 photographs of children, divided into the groups in which they were transported. The surviving transport lists are the basis for the display, and give a very poignant impression of the organisation and scale of the Shoah in the Netherlands.

Living in a Mansion

8 June - 8 September 2012

Photographer Theo Baart photographed residents of Amsterdam in their homes for the project ‘Historic Interiors in Amsterdam South’. The exhibition accompanies the publication of the book: Wonen in een herenhuis, 1875-1945, toen en nu (‘Living in a Mansion, 1875-1945, Then and Now’), which will be presented on 7 June.

Permanent Exhibition: Treasury

The Treasury is located in the basement of the City Archives, behind the impressive vault doors that date back to the time when the building was the largest bank in the Netherlands.
You can view the most beautiful and most interesting items from our archives, displayed on two storeys with richly decorated floors and ceilings. These ‘Treasures of Amsterdam’ have been arranged in twelve themes, each of which is represented by a prominent citizen of Amsterdam. Freddy Heineken represents the mercantile spirit of the people of Amsterdam, Theo van Gogh represents freedom of speech, and Willy Alberti represents the levenslied (‘life song’). Next to the Treasury is the open repository, which provides a fascinating insight into the way in which the 40 kilometres of Amsterdam archives are conserved with the greatest possible care. Access is free of charge.

Treasury online

Admission: Free

Film auditorium (Dutch spoken)

In the Film Auditorium we present a selection of moving images from our archives, portraying the city over more than a century. In 2012 we will be showing films on a number of themes that provide a glimpse of the everyday – and not so everyday – lives of Amsterdam residents in the last century.

The continuous presentation in the film auditorium is free of charge. You can come and go as you please.

Guided tours in English

It is possible to book a group guided tour in advance on the date of your choosing during the City Archives’ opening hours. You can opt for a guided tour around the De Bazel building and the City Archives or a themed tour in the Treasury. The themes are: 1 Power in Mokum; (politics, justice, crime); 2 Young and old in Amsterdam (children, care, welfare, life and death); 3 Art and Culture; 4 Money and Trade; 5 Religion. We also offer educational tours for all ages, ranging from primary school to university, designed to acquaint students with archives and collections. On request, we can also focus on a single theme or subject of your choice. It is also possible to organise tutorials at the City Archives.

Advance booking is essential, call: +31 (0)20 2511619 or send an e-mail: groepsrondleidingen@stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl

Café De Bazel

Relax with a cup of coffee and a tasty treat at Café De Bazel. The perfect venue for a delicious lunch!

City bookshop

Everything published about Amsterdam is for sale here. The City bookshop regularly hosts book presentations. For details, take a look at the website:
www.stadsboekwinkel.nl

Information centre

In the information centre, there are more than a hundred workstations with fast Internet connection, a spacious reference library with books and periodicals about Amsterdam and a large series of photo albums with thousands of historic photographs of Amsterdam. You can also find the sources you need for genealogical and topographic research, including microfiches of births, deaths and marriages, the population register and reproductions of the collections of maps and architectural drawings.

Study room and copy centre

Within half an hour of your request, the original documents from the archives and collections will be available for your personal research and can be copied on request. Please note: personal registration is necessary to view originals. In the copy centre, you can of course order a print of an attractive historical photograph of your house.

Last modified on March 15 2012