History of the Marineterrein
The history of the Marineterrein goes far back in time: the site has been in use since 1655 by the Admiralty of Amsterdam and its successor, the Royal Navy. Due to budget cuts, the Ministry of Defense decided to leave and sell the site in 2011. On January 5, 2015, the gates of the Marineterrein opened their doors to the public.
Thijs Meijer, project director of Bureau Marineterrein, also walked around there ten years ago and saw how the site changed: ”The historic gate was then the only access for the public. It then opened after being closed for years. The defense had mounted a bicycle rack on the inside, which had to be removed. Only in 2018 were the scaffolding placed here and swimming has become popular, so we are trying to celebrate that today as well.”
Fifty organizations
There are now about 50 organizations on the public part of the site. The vast majority of these organizations are concerned with innovation and solving urban issues. In the summer it is a popular recreation spot for Amsterdam residents. This means that the site has been a place for all Amsterdam residents for ten years.
The Marineterrein only became truly accessible to Amsterdam residents with the arrival of the bicycle bridge. This was opened in 2016 by then mayor Eberhard van der Laan: ”I think it is very special, this was a bit secretive and private for four centuries. But not anymore. You go from Central Station, to the passenger terminal, OBA, and all the things that come here, so this is quite a historic moment!.’