| Jodenbuurt | |
|---|---|
| — Neighborhood of Amsterdam — | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | North Holland |
| COROP | Amsterdam |
| Borough | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
(Dutch) The Jodenbuurt is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Prior to World War II, the Jodenbuurt was the center of Amsterdam's Jewish population, hence its name (literally Jewish quarter).
The historical heart of Amsterdam's Jewish Quarter consists of Jodenbreestraat, Uilenburg, the Waterlooplein, Rapenburg, and the Herengracht. Later it grew to include parts of Nieuwmarkt, Sint Antoniesbreestraat, the Plantage, and Weesperzijde.
The first Jews in the Netherlands were Sephardi Jews, who arrived in 1593 from Portugal and Spain. They settled near Sint Antoniesbreestraat, in an area that was at the time on the outskirts of the city. Three synagogues existed: Beth Jacob (founded around 1602-1610), Neve Shalom (founded 1608-1612), and Beth Israel (founded 1618). At first, these synagogues were hidden and not visible from the street; only in 1616 did the City of Amsterdam officially legalize the status of Jews.
During the 17th century, many Ashkenazi Jews immigrated from Central Europe. In 1612, Amsterdam's Jewish community numbered only around 500; this grew to around 1,000 by 1620 and around 2,500 in 1672.
The Jodenbuurt was transformed into a ghetto during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. In September 1943, the last of Amsterdam's Jews were removed to concentration camps; this brought an end to the ghetto and after this the Jodenbuurt was mostly empty. During the Dutch famine of 1944, many vacant buildings were demolished and stripped of wood for use as fuel. The city's four Ashkenazi synagogues were completely looted.
After the war, what was once a bustling, thriving neighborhood was largely abandoned and neglected. In 1953 the municipal government made plans for a major renovation, including a large expansion to Weesperstraat and Prins Henrikkade and the construction of the so-called 'oostlijn' expansion to the Amsterdam Metro. Many houses were demolished and replaced with large apartment blocks.
Today, little remains of the once-thriving Jewish neighborhood that once existed in the Jodenbuurt; however there are a few surviving monuments from Amsterdam's Jewish history. These include the Jewish Historical Museum and the Portuguese Synagogue. Saved from nearly being demolished in 1975, the Huis de Pinto is a mansion in Sint Antoniesbreestraat that once belonged to a wealthy Portuguese Sephardic family often referred to as the Rothschild family of the Dutch Golden Age.