Collectie Stadsarchief Amsterdam: bibliotheek
Item
Country
NL
Name of institution (English)
Amsterdam City Archives
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
dut
Contact information: postal address
Vijzelstraat 32, 1017 HL Amsterdam
Contact information: phone number
0031 202511511
Contact information: web address
https://www.amsterdam.nl/stadsarchief
Contact information: email
stadarchief@amsterdam.nl
Reference number
15030
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
Amsterdam City Archives Collection: library
Title (official language of the state)
Collectie Stadsarchief Amsterdam: bibliotheek
Language of title
dut
Creator / accumulator
Stadsarchief Amsterdam
Date note
15th century/20th century
Language(s)
dut
lat
por
spa
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Collectie Stadsarchief Amsterdam: bibliotheek comprises both manuscripts and printed materials. The collection is divided into serial publications (journals, newspapers, etc.), and non-serial publications, also including handwritten items. The themes, formats, and types of works are quite extensive, varying from governmental reports and medical treatises.
This collection includes a handwritten miscellaneous volume dated from 1686 (no. 130527) described as "Contiene este libro respuesta a una carta de Don Juan Baldes de cosas particulares de Amsterdam y sigue un tratado intitulado inquisicion de Lucifer y visita de todos los diablos y primero y segundo dialogo de Obadia Ben Ysrael y Andres Antonio su hermano y al cabo una carta a dicho d. Juan" (This book contains a response to a letter from Don Juan Baldes about particular affairs in Amsterdam, a treatise entitled 'Lucifer's inquisition and visit from all the devils', the first and second dialogue between Obadia Ben Ysrael and his brother Andres Antonio, and finishes with a letter to the said D. Juan). This volume comprises different manuscripts, including a copy of Abraham de Olivera's "Tratado de la hobligaçion que todos tienen de dar limosna a los pobres' (Treatise on everyone's obligation to give alms to the poor) from 1661. Another text contained in this miscellany related to the Western Sephardic Diaspora is the copy of the dialogues of Obadia Ben Israel and his brother Andres Antonio, an anti-Christian polemical writing also known as the "Marrakesh dialogues" (see the critical edition by Carsten Wilke (2014)). This manuscript volume was copied by a Portuguese Jew, Abraham Idaña, in Amsterdam in 1686 (Bernfeld 2012, 80-81).
A digital copy of this manuscript is available online.
This collection includes a handwritten miscellaneous volume dated from 1686 (no. 130527) described as "Contiene este libro respuesta a una carta de Don Juan Baldes de cosas particulares de Amsterdam y sigue un tratado intitulado inquisicion de Lucifer y visita de todos los diablos y primero y segundo dialogo de Obadia Ben Ysrael y Andres Antonio su hermano y al cabo una carta a dicho d. Juan" (This book contains a response to a letter from Don Juan Baldes about particular affairs in Amsterdam, a treatise entitled 'Lucifer's inquisition and visit from all the devils', the first and second dialogue between Obadia Ben Ysrael and his brother Andres Antonio, and finishes with a letter to the said D. Juan). This volume comprises different manuscripts, including a copy of Abraham de Olivera's "Tratado de la hobligaçion que todos tienen de dar limosna a los pobres' (Treatise on everyone's obligation to give alms to the poor) from 1661. Another text contained in this miscellany related to the Western Sephardic Diaspora is the copy of the dialogues of Obadia Ben Israel and his brother Andres Antonio, an anti-Christian polemical writing also known as the "Marrakesh dialogues" (see the critical edition by Carsten Wilke (2014)). This manuscript volume was copied by a Portuguese Jew, Abraham Idaña, in Amsterdam in 1686 (Bernfeld 2012, 80-81).
A digital copy of this manuscript is available online.
Archival history
The Collectie Stadsarchief Amsterdam: bibliotheek comprises both materials that were part of the original collection of the Amsterdam City Archives and others that entered the archives over the years by purchase or donations.
Administrative / Biographical history
The history of the Amsterdam City Archives dates back to the 19th century. On April 7, 1848, Pieter Scheltema (1812-1885) was appointed archivist of the city of Amsterdam. At the time of his appointment, Scheltema had already been occupied for a number of years with the organisation and description of Amsterdam archives. Under his care were the documents produced until 1795. Over the years, the archives under Scheltema's management grew, particularly with the incorporation of the documentation produced by the Wisselbank (1863) and with the transfer of some Gildearchieven (guild archives). Moreover, Scheltema bought up as many stray documents as possible and went to great lengths to acquire private archives via donation or loan. The management of the municipal archives had meanwhile been extended. Then, the archivist became responsible for managing documentation produced before 1812.
As a result of the increase in its collection, the Amsterdam archive was lacking space. Therefore, collections and items were disposed of throughout the second half of the 19th century. For instance, books that were duplicated or not specifically related to the history of Amsterdam were donated to the City Library and later to the University Library. The last collection that was disposed of was the city's collection of “stedelijke historiepenningen” (urban history tokens) and “noodmunten” (coins) that went to the Stedelijk Museum in 1909.
On March 21, 1888, it was decided to make the former St. Anthoniswaag on the Nieuwmarkt, also known as the Waag, the headquarters of the Oudarchief der gemeente (old archives of the municipality). Then, the documentation produced before 1812 was moved to the Waag. Later records were left in the attics of the Town Hall. The municipal archivist had to divide his attention between these two archives.
Soon, the Waag proved to be too small and to have numerous technical flaws: it was damp and smelled because the walls of the building were used as a public urinal. In 1900, an internal renovation was necessary to accommodate the transferred archives of the hospital and orphanages. When the archives of the Hoofd Provoost of the Aalmoesseniers-Weeshuis were transferred in 1901, the archive repository was full.
On April 28, 1909, the City Council of Amsterdam accepted the proposal to use the former Town Hall of Nieuwer-Amstel on Amsteldijk as an archive building. The construction of a new archive depot and the renovation of the Town Hall were completed in 1912. The transfer of documentation lasted until August 1914. The extra space obtained by the move was already largely filled in 1915 with the incorporation of the notarial archives.
The entry into force of the 1918 Archives Act on September 16, 1919, had far-reaching consequences for the City Archives. Management was entrusted to the municipal archivist, who became the head of a separate municipal service. In effect, in the council meeting of November 5, 1919, the Amsterdam municipal archivist was reappointed, and a new ordinance on the archive was established.
The new building of the Amsterdam City Archives had to contend with a lack of space from the start. On September 26, 1926, the City Council accepted a plan to expand the building. However, when municipal archivist Joh. C. Breen died unexpectedly in early 1927, it was decided to postpone the plan until the appointment of a new archivist. The successor was A. le Cosquino de Bussy, who rejected the plan.
In the course of the 1930s, damages caused by the excessive load of both archives became apparent. Also, the fire protection of the building on Herenmarkt did not meet the minimum requirements. On February 16, 1938, the City Council approved a new plan to expand the archive, this time including the two adjacent schools. Before the construction started, World War II broke out, and the plans were shelved. Extensive documentation was then dispersed in multiple buildings for safekeeping and security reasons.
When a new municipal archivist, W. F. H. Oldewelt, took office in 1950, the city archives were spread over four locations: the documents up to 1827 were in the old archive at Amsteldijk 67; documents from 1827 to 1928 were in a new archive divided between a building in Herenmarkt 10-12 and the Centrale Markthallen (Central Market); and 1928-1946 items were located in the Bank van Lening in Oudezijds Voorburgwal 300.
Oldewelt called in the provincial inspector in North Holland who, after a visit to these locations in December 1950, wrote a report warning about the poor condition of the Amsterdam archives. An ad hoc committee advised the implementation of short-term measures to prevent the loss of documentation and a definitive solution for housing the archive in the longer term. In the final report of June 3, 1953 (adopted by the City Council on 8 July), the committee advocated for the construction of a new archive on the Amsteldijk. In spite of the City Council's approbation of the plan for a new building on the Amsteldijk in 1955, other priorities emerged, and the plan was postponed. Finally, the construction was approved in December 1960, which lasted until 1985.
Since the summer of 2007, the City Archives have been located in the monumental building De Bazel, in the heart of Amsterdam.
As a result of the increase in its collection, the Amsterdam archive was lacking space. Therefore, collections and items were disposed of throughout the second half of the 19th century. For instance, books that were duplicated or not specifically related to the history of Amsterdam were donated to the City Library and later to the University Library. The last collection that was disposed of was the city's collection of “stedelijke historiepenningen” (urban history tokens) and “noodmunten” (coins) that went to the Stedelijk Museum in 1909.
On March 21, 1888, it was decided to make the former St. Anthoniswaag on the Nieuwmarkt, also known as the Waag, the headquarters of the Oudarchief der gemeente (old archives of the municipality). Then, the documentation produced before 1812 was moved to the Waag. Later records were left in the attics of the Town Hall. The municipal archivist had to divide his attention between these two archives.
Soon, the Waag proved to be too small and to have numerous technical flaws: it was damp and smelled because the walls of the building were used as a public urinal. In 1900, an internal renovation was necessary to accommodate the transferred archives of the hospital and orphanages. When the archives of the Hoofd Provoost of the Aalmoesseniers-Weeshuis were transferred in 1901, the archive repository was full.
On April 28, 1909, the City Council of Amsterdam accepted the proposal to use the former Town Hall of Nieuwer-Amstel on Amsteldijk as an archive building. The construction of a new archive depot and the renovation of the Town Hall were completed in 1912. The transfer of documentation lasted until August 1914. The extra space obtained by the move was already largely filled in 1915 with the incorporation of the notarial archives.
The entry into force of the 1918 Archives Act on September 16, 1919, had far-reaching consequences for the City Archives. Management was entrusted to the municipal archivist, who became the head of a separate municipal service. In effect, in the council meeting of November 5, 1919, the Amsterdam municipal archivist was reappointed, and a new ordinance on the archive was established.
The new building of the Amsterdam City Archives had to contend with a lack of space from the start. On September 26, 1926, the City Council accepted a plan to expand the building. However, when municipal archivist Joh. C. Breen died unexpectedly in early 1927, it was decided to postpone the plan until the appointment of a new archivist. The successor was A. le Cosquino de Bussy, who rejected the plan.
In the course of the 1930s, damages caused by the excessive load of both archives became apparent. Also, the fire protection of the building on Herenmarkt did not meet the minimum requirements. On February 16, 1938, the City Council approved a new plan to expand the archive, this time including the two adjacent schools. Before the construction started, World War II broke out, and the plans were shelved. Extensive documentation was then dispersed in multiple buildings for safekeeping and security reasons.
When a new municipal archivist, W. F. H. Oldewelt, took office in 1950, the city archives were spread over four locations: the documents up to 1827 were in the old archive at Amsteldijk 67; documents from 1827 to 1928 were in a new archive divided between a building in Herenmarkt 10-12 and the Centrale Markthallen (Central Market); and 1928-1946 items were located in the Bank van Lening in Oudezijds Voorburgwal 300.
Oldewelt called in the provincial inspector in North Holland who, after a visit to these locations in December 1950, wrote a report warning about the poor condition of the Amsterdam archives. An ad hoc committee advised the implementation of short-term measures to prevent the loss of documentation and a definitive solution for housing the archive in the longer term. In the final report of June 3, 1953 (adopted by the City Council on 8 July), the committee advocated for the construction of a new archive on the Amsteldijk. In spite of the City Council's approbation of the plan for a new building on the Amsteldijk in 1955, other priorities emerged, and the plan was postponed. Finally, the construction was approved in December 1960, which lasted until 1985.
Since the summer of 2007, the City Archives have been located in the monumental building De Bazel, in the heart of Amsterdam.
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: subject terms
System of arrangement
The collection is divided into two major sub-collections: serial publications and non-serial publications. On a second level, documents are organised alphabetically and according to types of materials. Finally, serial publications are organised chronologically.
Access, restrictions
Digital copies of some units of this collection are available online:
Links to finding aids
Existence and location of copies
Author of the description
Kevin Soares, 2022
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Stadsarchief Amsterdam | Collections (official language of the state) |