Six heads stare back at you from this canal side building. This is the Huis met de Hoofden or House with the Heads. It stands proudly on the Keizersgracht. This national monument has a captivating story.
The Huis met de Hoofden was built in 1622. Nicolaes Sohier a wealthy stocking merchant commissioned it. He lived here for twelve years. While the design is often attributed to Hendrick de Keyser, his son Pieter de Keyser likely completed it.
Look at the facade. It has Renaissance style ornaments. Stone scrolls vases and lion masks adorn it. Note the six prominent heads. They give the house its name.
These aren’t just heads. They are short busts of Roman gods. Apollo represents the arts with his laurel wreath. Ceres symbolizes agriculture with ears of grain. Mercury the god of trade sports a winged helmet. Minerva embodies wisdom with a plumed helmet. Bacchus god of wine wears a grapevine wreath. Diana the goddess of the hunt bears a half moon.
The second owner Louis de Geer likely added the heads. He was a Dutch Swedish entrepreneur and industrialist. He wanted to be seen as a “mercator sapiens”. This means a trader of commerce and wisdom. The pairing of Mercury and Minerva reflects this.
Notice how the heads face different directions. They alternate male and female. This was a common feature during the Dutch Renaissance. The left side represents morning and afternoon for trade. The right side symbolizes evening and night for study.
An urban legend tells a different tale. It says the heads belonged to robbers. A deaf kitchen maid killed them with an axe. As a reward the owner put their heads on the gable. This story was dismissed as fiction in 1861.
The Huis met de Hoofden has a rich history of residents. The De Geer family owned it for four generations. Philosopher Jan Amos Komensky also known as Comenius was a guest here. The house became a meeting point for free thinkers.
In 2017 the Huis met de Hoofden became home to the Embassy of the Free Mind. It is a museum library and platform for free thinking. It is inspired by the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica collection.
Today the Huis met de Hoofden stands as a reminder of Amsterdam’s Golden Age. It represents trade wisdom and free thought. Take a moment to appreciate its beauty and history. The six heads continue to watch over the Keizersgracht. They whisper tales of merchants philosophers and legends.