Kadoelen

Nestled in Amsterdam Noord, Kadoelen whispers tales of a watery past. Imagine a time before the A10, when Kadoelen wasn’t a neighborhood, but a small, rural hamlet in the municipality of Landsmeer. Kadoelen’s story stretches back to the 14th century, predating even the Landsmeerderdijk, built in the 15th century. This dike held back the IJ, a much wider expanse of water than we see today. Kadoelen has always been intimately connected to the water. Dike breaches in the early 16th century led to the creation of the Wilmkebreek and Kadoelerbreek polders, drained by windmills. The Wilmkebreek, a particularly low-lying polder, was kept dry from its creation in 1638 by the ‘t Haasje polder mill. This mill was later replaced by an electric pumping station in 1916. Today, the Wilmkebreek, Landsmeerderdijk, and Kadoelerbreek stand as protected provincial monuments, echoing Kadoelen’s history. Even the name “Kadoelen” itself has a history. It appears in eight places across the Netherlands. In a 1375 Amsterdam document, it’s spelled “Quadolen”, the name of a manor. This older spelling persists in the Frisian village of Oosterwolde, home to Quadoelenweg. In Kadoelen, where Café Kadoelen now stands, stood the inn De Groene Ridder (The Green Knight), built in 1631. The inn shared its name with the owner’s ship, a vessel that sailed the high seas. Back then, Kadoelen earned the nickname “Capie’s Oort,” meaning “Captain’s Place”, due to the number of sea captains who called it home. Many crew members on merchant ships hailed from the same village as their captain, so Kadoelen, along with Landsmeer, must have housed a considerable number of sailors. Though, this maritime connection waned after the 17th century. Kadoelen wasn’t always easily accessible. The Kadoelenweg to Landsmeer was then known as “De Gouw”, not a paved road but a narrow path. The adjacent ditch served as a waterway for freight transport. A ferry departed from Kadoelen to Amsterdam, and cargo barges, including milk barges, were common sights. Around 1900, this route became a key transport link for eggs from Landsmeer. Even the Stoombootweg started as a humble path, gaining importance in 1867 with the launch of a steamboat service to Amsterdam from Oostzaner Overtoom (now Oostzanerwerf). When the Enhabo bus service began operating between Landsmeer and Amsterdam in 1921, the ferry services quickly became obsolete. Kadoelen’s transition into Amsterdam wasn’t without controversy. The construction of the A10 ring road in 1966 led to Kadoelen’s annexation by Amsterdam, a move met with resistance from both the residents and the Landsmeer municipal council. Even today, separated from Landsmeer by the A10, Kadoelen retains a rural charm, its landscape crisscrossed by canals and ditches, a testament to its water-bound heritage.