Is it possible for a building to stand as a testament to both wealth and resilience? That is the story of Huis De Pinto. This impressive house at Sint Antoniebreestraat 69 carries the name of a significant Portuguese-Jewish family.
In 1651, Isaac de Pinto, a prosperous merchant, purchased this property. He acquired it from Jan Janszoon Carel, who was a founder of the Dutch East India Company. Later, Isaac’s son, David Emanuel de Pinto, transformed the house in 1686. David created the classical facade we see today. The De Pinto family owned Huis De Pinto until the 19th century. Then it sadly fell into disrepair.
The early 1970s brought a threat of demolition. City plans aimed to replace the building with office blocks and a four-lane highway. The De Pinto Trust intervened and saved the house. Restoration work occurred in 1975. This preservation maintained the street’s historic building line. The metro’s construction resulted in new dwellings around Huis De Pinto.
Huis De Pinto was once owned by the Amsterdam Monuments Trust. From that moment it served as a public library. But that library closed in 2012. Local citizens formed Found House De Pinto. They campaigned to preserve the reading room as a cultural space. Their efforts succeeded. The ground floor is now a community space. The Waag organization uses the upper floors as office space.
Interestingly, Huis De Pinto defies typical Amsterdam architecture. Most grand houses are built along canals. This one stands proudly on a street. Jan Jansz. Carel, an early director of the VOC, originally constructed it around 1606 or 1607. He bought six plots to build his home and a large warehouse.
In 1686, David de Pinto bought a neighboring building. Architect Elias Bouman likely designed the renovation. Bouman also designed the Portuguese-Israelite Synagogue. The design features a wide main building and a narrow side house. This was an early version of a double house. David de Pinto enhanced the exterior with a sandstone facade in the Dutch Classicist style.
However, the house’s history isn’t without its dark moments. In 1696, during the “Aansprekersoproer” revolt, the richly decorated house was looted. Blood flowed down the stairs. Twenty-seven people were arrested. Two bodies were removed from the house.
In the late 19th century, the house stood empty. Businesses and workshops moved in. After World War II, it became a slum. The Jewish neighborhood had been decimated. Many residents never returned. During the “hunger winter,” people stripped vacant buildings for firewood. By the late 1960s, buildings around Huis De Pinto were demolished.
Huis De Pinto stood alone. It was a stark reminder of the once-vibrant Jewish quarter. The city bought the house in 1968. They planned to demolish it for a highway and metro line. Squatters from the “Association Friends of the Amsterdam Inner City” occupied it. They fought to save the historic building.
Monument activist Geurt Brinkgreve led the preservation efforts. The squatters and the De Pinto Foundation successfully saved the building. The restoration blocked the planned four-lane highway. Instead, new housing followed the old building lines.
Today, Huis De Pinto is owned by Stadsherstel Amsterdam. The Waag occupies the upper floors. The ground floor serves as a cultural meeting space with a reading room. This ensures Huis De Pinto remains a vital part of Amsterdam’s cultural landscape. Its story embodies wealth, destruction, and ultimately, preservation.