“The zoo was founded in 1838 as a zoological society Natura Artis Magistra, which in Latin is ‘Nature is the teacher of art and science’, explains Wessel Broekhuis – the historian of the zoo.
In the early years it was a place where scientists could do research into living animals, but also into skeletons, skins, plants and stones. “The park was for the zoological (animal, ed.) Society. So you had to be a member of the fellow student to get access to the park and you had to pay a contribution for that. The costs per year were around a monthly salary for the average Amsterdam worker or office clerk. As a result, Artis was especially for the wealthy Amsterdammer. “
Later in the 19th century there was first a quarter day and a little later the quarter month, so you could first enter for a day and then for a month with a discount. In 1912 the zoo only became accessible to all Amsterdammers throughout the year. The ferry that is central to this story has never experienced the ‘ordinary’ Amsterdammer, because that disappeared in the 60s of the 19th century.
The canal over
At the opening of Artis, the zoo was no larger than the piece that is now the Artisplein. In the years that followed, the zoo bought more and more land, until the moment that the park was restricted between the Plantage Kerklaan and where the new Prinsengracht ran at the time, in 1842. The Nieuwe Prinsengracht came out on the Entrepot dock and was an important sailing route for boats that came from the Amstel.