“De nering hier is goet” proclaims the weathered gevelsteen. This is the Aalsmeerder Veerhuis. Right here on the Sloterkade.
This unassuming building. A Rijksmonument. It hides centuries of history. It was once a bustling inn called “De Bonte Os” the Painted Ox. This was in 1634. Long before Amsterdam sprawled to engulf it. The inn stood outside the city walls. At a crucial crossroads. Both land and water routes converged here.
Trekschuiten departed from here. These horse-drawn barges were vital for inland transport. During the Golden Age. They weren’t fast only 7 km per hour. But their schedule was remarkably reliable. A true rarity in 17th-century Europe.
The location itself was strategic. The Sloterkade marked the boundary between Amsterdam and the old village of Sloten. Before 1921. Sloten was an independent village. This boundary played a role in tax evasion. The Schinkel a canalized river offered an alternative route. This avoided tolls levied by Haarlem on the Spaarne River.
To counter this tax avoidance. Haarlem built a dam in the Schinkel in the 15th century. An overtoom a slipway was built here in 1515. This allowed smaller boats to be hauled over land. From one waterway to another. The Graaf of Holland banned the use of windlasses on this overtoom. He wanted to protect his tolls on larger ships. They had to use the Haarlem route. The street Overtoom and the Overtoomse Sluisbrug owe their names to this slipway.
The Aalsmeerder Veerhuis was the first of many inns that sprung up here. It profited from travelers arriving late. The city gates were closed at night. Travelers had to spend the night outside the city walls. Until the gates reopened.
The overtoom served for centuries. Until 1807. Louis Napoleon ordered its replacement with a proper lock. The Overtoomse Sluis a 124-meter-long double lock. It was finished in 1809. It was demolished in 1944. A new wider bridge was built. It also bears the name Overtoomse Sluis.
The Aalsmeerder Veerhuis itself nearly vanished. It fell into disrepair. Plans to move it were abandoned. It underwent extensive restoration from 1960 to 1965. The Stichting Diogenes and the Vereniging Vrienden van de Amsterdamse Binnenstad now have their offices here. They work to preserve Amsterdam’s historic center. The building also houses other foundations.
So next time you see this building remember its story. A tale of trade tax evasion and resilience. A testament to Amsterdam’s rich and layered past. The Aalsmeerder Veerhuis. A quiet observer of centuries of change. It continues to stand as a reminder. Of a time when the city was smaller. When the boundaries were more porous. When beer was transported by barge. A time when this very place was bustling.