The disappeared city: The Zeeburgerkade was filled with warehouses in record time

We walk over with local resident Leon Paquay to be Zeeburgerkade. “This is now a quiet place, but a century ago it was very busy here.”

At that time, this former harbor was still in full operation. The port dates from the late nineteenth century. Later, in two years’ time, the entire quay was filled with warehouses, which were given the names of the week.

New port

Paquay: “Those warehouses used to be on the canals, but at a certain point they were all full. Then new warehouses were built behind Artis, they were also completely occupied in no time. After that they built a new harbor here. and built these warehouses.”

Pakhuis Zondag was added later, because there was still a need for a separate storage room for tea.

customs area

Goods from all parts of the world were stored in the warehouses. Paquay: “A lot of goods came from India, because we had the plantations there: palm oil, tea, coffee, arrack and rice. There were all shipping companies that brought that stuff here. This was a customs location. It was temporarily stored here, but then it was no tax paid on it.The harbor used to be enclosed by a wall, you can still see the remains of it in the water.On the other side of the warehouses there was also a high wall, so you couldn’t come and get things without paying .”

General cargo

There were large cranes on the quay that could lift the cargo from the hold. It was all general cargo, so many workers were carrying sacks and barrels all day long.

Paquay: “Everything went into the building one at a time. It was incredibly hard work because you can only lift forty or fifty kilos. Nowadays it is not even allowed anymore.”

supporting structure

From the outside, the warehouses seem unchanged, but that is not the case. Only the front has been preserved, the inside has been completely converted into apartments between 1985 and 1989.

“Fortunately,” says Paquay, “while retaining the support structure of the past.” Because that supporting structure is impressive, as we see inside the entrance hall. The cast iron columns are huge and the walls are impressively thick.

Look here for more episodes of The Lost City