History
of the Czaar Peter Quarter
The Czaar Peter Quarter, established in Amsterdam City Center, is probably Amsterdam's best-kept (shopping) secret.
The Czaar Peter Quarter consists of the Eilandenboulevard and the Czaar Peterstraat and has a rich history. On this page, we would like to guide you through the different centuries: from the 17th century to the present!
The 17th & 18th century
Until the sixteenth century, the Eastern Islands were a swampy area outside the dikes, but this changed in the early 17th century. Amsterdam became increasingly important as a trading center and as a result, as the city grew, a new infrastructure had to be built urgently.
The expansions of Amsterdam in the 17th century took place on the east side of the city, with land outside the dikes being added to the city. Artificial islands were constructed in the IJ; Kattenburg, Wittenburg and Oostenburg. Mills arose on these strongholds. One of these was the De Gooijer mill, which can still be admired in the Czaar Peter Kwartier (next to Brewerij ‘t Ij) The new city arose within a defensive wall at Funen (the current Czaar Peterbuurt) on the east side.
In the same period, the VOC settled in Oostenburg and built a large shipyard, with company buildings, a colossal warehouse, ropeways, and a large sawmill. In 1697, Czar Peter the Great lived on the Funen for four months and learned to build ships at the shipyard of the VOC. The VOC would remain in Oostenburg for a century and a half and built hundreds of ships.
On the right an image of Czar Peter the Great
The 19th century
A century after the bankruptcy of the VOC (around 1880), the area was filled with mud from the bottom of the Nieuwe Vaart. This had to be dredged anyway because of the arrival of larger steamships. Thanks to the North Sea Canal construction, the Czaar Peter Neighborhood was undergoing a new economic revolution. The neighborhood became a new port area - the largest cocoa port in the world. As a result, the Czaar Peterstraat in particular became a thriving shopping street with many shops, restaurants, and bars. It was even the street with the most cafes in Amsterdam!
The Czaar Peter Neighborhood became a working-class neighborhood due to the new employment opportunities in the area. Homes were created on as little land as possible. In addition, Van Gendthallen and the forge and machine factory of the Amsterdam Stoomboot Maatschappij were built. Later, a factory that produces tools and railway equipment is added: Stork. After the Second World War (20th century) this company merged with Werkspoor (founded in 1872) and flourished worldwide as well as the VOC.
On the left size a photo of the construction of the Van Gendthallen,
the halls were built between 1897 and 1905.
The 20th century
In the early 1920s, ships refilled their stocks at the shops in the Czaar Peterstraat. Emigrants who stayed at the Lloyd hotel did their shopping in the Czaar Peter Neighbourhood and sailors and boat workers went to the many cigar and tobacco shops in the street for smoking products.
The residents in the Czaar Peter Neighbourhood were mainly workers who worked in the harbor, at Werkspoor, at the NDSM shipyard, or at the railways. Life really took place on the street. People within a residential block knew each other and you often also did your shopping in your own residential block. Every residential block had a baker, greengrocer, or butcher, so you didn't have to go out of the street to do your shopping.
These were hard times, sometimes the worker earned too little to support his family (because sometimes in the winter the work stopped). Starting a shop was therefore a popular step in those years to further supplement the income. The person who rented a ground-floor apartment emptied the front room and put things there to sell.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the port activities moved to the western part of Amsterdam and the Czaar Peter Quarter became a problem area with a lot of poverty, crime, prostitution, and drug abuse.
On the right a photo of the Czaar Peterstraat around 1925
The 21st century - present
In 2003, Czaar Peter Quarter went through an enormous transformation. Buildings have been demolished, new construction has been added and dilapidated housing blocks have been completely renovated.
To this day there are shops and various companies in the Czaar Peter Quarter. Do you like to visit the Czaar Peter Quarter? Find out how to navigate to the Czaar Peter Quarter via this page.
On the left, a photo of 2020, shot at the Eilandenboulevard
Would you like to know more about the Czaar Peter Quarter?
Sign up for take a tour of Amsterdam Tours that Matter of Amsterdam Amsterdam Odyssey
Colonialism to Fair Trade Tour
Book a Colonialism to Fair Trade Tour that takes you through the Czaar Peter Quarter. Enter studio spaces and shops, meet the owners and learn more about their craft. Visit the Cacao Museum and taste samples of the best single-origin chocolate the world has to offer, and hear some personal stories behind the beans. This tour changes the way you eat chocolate, the way you shop for souvenirs, and the way you see the world. More information about this tour can be found on the website of Tours that Matter.
Amsterdam Odyssey tours
Book a tour via hotel Yays in the Czaar Peter Kwartier a tours around Yays Oostenburgergracht