Research: The Netherlands

[CharleyH]

I have this impending chain story, but such the writer I am, I cannot get past the historical parts that I don't know with certainty. I have tried to find the info all day, but Amsterdam in 1918 is not a quick research subject. I want to write:

Jude and I became instant friends the moment we were introduced and almost the moment we met she invited me to live in her flat overlooking the river IJ. It was mainly a grubby warehouse district, but no worse than De Wallen at the time. Being a part of the De Stijil Circle, and a talented designer with money and friends, she had transformed the modest space she had acquired into a work of art.

My questions are:
Was the river bank of IJ a warehouse district in 1918, and was there any red light district at that time, or is De Wallen a more recent thing? If anyone knows of a great history site where I could get these two things answered, I would be greatly appreciative. If anyone knows the answers already, I would be even more grateful.

Thanks in advance.

Tracy

 

[matriarch]

I have this impending chain story, but such the writer I am, I cannot get past the historical parts that I don't know with certainty. I have tried to find the info all day, but Amsterdam in 1918 is not a quick research subject. I want to write:

Jude and I became instant friends the moment we were introduced and almost the moment we met she invited me to live in her flat overlooking the river IJ. It was mainly a grubby warehouse district, but no worse than De Wallen at the time. Being a part of the De Stijil Circle, and a talented designer with money and friends, she had transformed the modest space she had acquired into a work of art.

My questions are:
Was the river bank of IJ a warehouse district in 1918, and was there any red light district at that time, or is De Wallen a more recent thing? If anyone knows of a great history site where I could get these two things answered, I would be greatly appreciative. If anyone knows the answers already, I would be even more grateful.

Thanks in advance.

Tracy

Send a pm to Black Tulip, she may be able to help you.

 

[CharleyH]

Send a pm to Black Tulip, she may be able to help you.

Will do, thank you.

 

[gauchecritic]

Pure speculation.

I could be completely and utterly wrong C (and probably am) but I think if you're talking about Amsterdam it seems to me that there wouldn't be any flats because of the way they constructed housing, the tax being on footprint of building most houses were tall and narrow with one, maybe two rooms per floor.

This is speculation based on that.

Large families living in one house would take up most if not all the rooms (when I say large I'm mixing in local family size in England of the period, of up to 12-14 kids per household.)

Canal side would be for warehousing as the best arterial infrastructure/commerce solution.

 

[neonlyte]

This Link might help with background and contains many links to other sources.

1918 was right at the beginning of De Stijil - The first edition of De Stijil published in 1917 as a cooperation between Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg. Doesburg moved to Paris around the end of the decade.

Can't help you with the factories / warehouses but the dams to close the low lying areas (polders?) off Amsterdam were not proposed until 1918, Amsterdam would have been prone to seasonal flooding. In 1918 Netherlands was under immense financial strain, it housed hundreds of thousands of Belgians in refuge camps, the camps were not closed for another couple of years.

 

[CharleyH]

I could be completely and utterly wrong C (and probably am) but I think if you're talking about Amsterdam it seems to me that there wouldn't be any flats because of the way they constructed housing, the tax being on footprint of building most houses were tall and narrow with one, maybe two rooms per floor.

This is speculation based on that.

Large families living in one house would take up most if not all the rooms (when I say large I'm mixing in local family size in England of the period, of up to 12-14 kids per household.)

Canal side would be for warehousing as the best arterial infrastructure/commerce solution.

Thank you, Gauche. I talk of flats only because my character is young and coming from England via France and I have no concept of WWI, except that Amsterdam was untouched as a neutral country. Hm. Its one paragraph that I want to make right, before the sex, but see PM. If there is any more you can tell, I would be much appreciative.

 

[gauchecritic]

Yep, I should have googled before going off half-cocked.

Amsterdam Heritage seems to be a pretty good site from where you can draw conclusions.

 

[CharleyH]

This Link might help with background and contains many links to other sources.

1918 was right at the beginning of De Stijil - The first edition of De Stijil published in 1917 as a cooperation between Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg. Doesburg moved to Paris around the end of the decade.

Can't help you with the factories / warehouses but the dams to close the low lying areas (polders?) off Amsterdam were not proposed until 1918, Amsterdam would have been prone to seasonal flooding. In 1918 Netherlands was under immense financial strain, it housed hundreds of thousands of Belgians in refuge camps, the camps were not closed for another couple of years.

I know you know De Stijil how could you not in your profession? Thank you.

I am looking for a setting in Amsterdam, its not an important one perhaps, because it lasts one paragraph as I exampled, and no other mention of it in the story other than her apartment location. The furniture and design of De Stijil, I will use for sex, which will ... lol ... "edge" along to her next experience. (Lord I am having FUN with this story) I just want to ensure that there was a red light district called De Wallen, and that the IJ was a bunch of warehouses at that time and before the trendy, and need to buy myself one yuppie mentality.

thank you, Neon.

 

[CharleyH]

Yep, I should have googled before going off half-cocked.

Amsterdam Heritage seems to be a pretty good site from where you can draw conclusions.

Seriously? How serious is a search engine called "GOOGLE" anyhow? Thanx, Gauche.

 

[neonlyte]

I know you know De Stijil how could you not in your profession? Thank you.

I am looking for a setting in Amsterdam, its not an important one perhaps, because it lasts one paragraph as I exampled, and no other mention of it in the story other than her apartment location. The furniture and design of De Stijil, I will use for sex, which will ... lol ... "edge" along to her next experience. (Lord I am having FUN with this story) I just want to ensure that there was a red light district called De Wallen, and that the IJ was a bunch of warehouses at that time and before the trendy, and need to buy myself one yuppie mentality.

thank you, Neon.

Yes - De Wallen existed from 14C.
As for the furniture 1918 onward. Red & Blue chair 1919
Ask me about my visit to the Schroder House some time, I had tea with Mrs Schroder

 

[CharleyH]

Yes - De Wallen existed from 14C.
As for the furniture 1918 onward. Red & Blue chair 1919
Ask me about my visit to the Schroder House some time, I had tea with Mrs Schroder

I will ask right now, then

 

[kendo1]

I don't think neanderthals were around in 1918.

 

[neonlyte]

1970 caught a boat to Norway and hitch lifts down through Scandinavia, Germany and into the Netherlands, Amsterdam. Took a train to Utrecht and a bus to the Schroder House, designed by Rietveld. There was an old lady on the bus, who alighted when I alighted at the stop near as I could make it to the house.

I asked her politely, in English, if she could direct me to the house. She kindly led the way, it was just around the corner, and then invited me inside. She let me wander, taking pictures, while she made tea. The house was still then pretty much a museum, complete with the famous Red and Blue chair. An extraordinary house with moving walls that closed and opened spaces. Tiny actually, it appears much larger in pictures than in life.

Over tea she took out her photograph album and showed me old pictures of the house when new, her family, Rietveld of course, and many of his contemporaries. She was a wonderful spirit, similar to the character of Mrs Marples in the filmed versions of Agatha Christie, the same style of hat, a kindly wrinkled face and showed great kindness to a young student of Architecture.