The Scent of Past and Present

Why do so many people like to immerse themselves in the friendly atmosphere of a café? Probably because there is no other place where the senses are so intensely stimulated: the motley crowd of people passing by; the hum of voices blending with the rhythm of the music; the delightful scent and taste of the food and drinks. If you want to stimulate your senses, café ‘t Gasthuys is the place to be! And what’s more, in the Gasthuys café you can smell the scent of  the past!

The Grimburgwal  Contrary to popular belief the name Grimburgwal has nothing to do with a goalie of Ajax Football Club. It was here that during the 14^th century a rampart was built alongside a natural watercourse (Grim = muddy ditch). It was the town’s most southern boundary until the year 1425.

Monasteries  Until the 17^th century the lively neighbourhood surrounding the café was called ‘the quiet side’ because many monasteries were located in this part of town. The alley next to the café called ‘Het Gebed Zonder End (the never-ending prayer)’, is a reminder of this period when praying literally never seemed to come to an end. In 1578, when Amsterdam turned protestant overnight, the curtain fell for the monasteries, monks and nuns. Although nowadays there is still a group of women living near the ‘Oude Kerk (‘Old Church’) who are dedicated to their ‘lords’. But their ‘devotion’ has a rather more physical nature than the worship of the virginal Brides of Jesus in the distant past…..

The ‘Binnen-Gasthuys’ During the 17^th century monasteries all over Amsterdam were replaced by houses, workshops and public buildings. The Gasthuys café is named after a hospital that was situated along the Grimburgwal at the time, the so called ‘Binnen-Gasthuys.’ At the close of the 19^th century the Binnen-Gasthuys became part of the University of  Amsterdam. Considering students and nurses have different ways of using alcohol, a favourable occurrence for the Gasthuis café! For that matter, speaking about alcohol, large quantities of beer were imported in Amsterdam ever since the Middle Ages. On a quay near the Oude Kerk called ‘De Bierkaai’ (beer quay), a stone throw away from the Grimburgwal, beer-barrels from Germany were discharged by burly men with whom you had better not pick a quarrel. Ever since, the Dutch use the expression ‘to fight against the beer quay’ when they think something is labour lost.

A Tripartite House / Tobacco  The oldest part of the Gasthuys café is the front part at Grimburgwal number 7, which dates from 1870. Afterwards the middle part (AD 1900) at the Gebed Zonder End number 8, and the back of the house (AD 1930) were built. In these days the tobacco industry had settled in the part of town surrounding the premises. Where in a distant past prayers were sent to heaven, the scent of tobacco circled towards the blue skies. At the back of the present-day cafe the colour of tobacco leaves was checked. For this purpose the steady light that shines on the northern part of the premises was very useful. Nowadays, the tobacco industry has ‘gone up in smoke.’

The Present  Piet Römer, one of Holland’s most famous actors, was the first proprietor of the Gasthuys café. On the 6^th of November 1977 a spirit-license and the right to employ female personnel were granted to him by the town council of Amsterdam. Presently, both can still be admired in the café. Rightly so, because without these two things a café would be quite similar to a monastery! In 1979 the café came into possession of the current owners. It has become a cosy establishment for students, visitors of the theatre, tourists and other guests. It is a place where one can enjoy a ‘grub’ and a ‘bub’, and ever since the first ‘plate of the day’ was introduced in 1986 the café is renown for serving good meals at an affordable price.  The year round it is an agreeable place to stay. During wintertime when the stove is nice and warm, and in the summertime when the sun is shining exuberantly outside on the terrace. Indeed, for almost 25 years now along the Grimburgwal in the heart of Amsterdam lies one of the town’s finest cafés! 

Management and personnel would like to welcome you to the Gasthuys café!