Vondelparkpaviljoen

Built between 1874 and 1881 by architect W. Hamer in the Italian Renaissance style, it is characterized by Ionic half-columns, round windows, and turrets. Ten years after its opening, a reception hall and bowling alley were added. The building stands on the historically lowest point in Amsterdam.

From its opening, the Vondelpark Pavilion served as an exhibition space for modern art and a meeting place for Amsterdam bohemians.

During World War II, the Vondelpark Pavilion was seized by the German occupiers and used for military purposes, including housing officers and storing provisions. Cavalrymen hammered pegs into the marble to hang their equipment. In 1943, there was an exhibition of toys made by soldiers for Winterhulp (Winter Relief). Upon liberation in 1945, the building was used by the Dutch Interior Forces, but was in a deplorable state: dilapidated and unfurnished; it was restored and given a new function as a cultural center.

In the 1950s, the pavilion became municipal property and served as the base for the Holland Festival. From 1972 to 2012, it housed the Film Museum, which grew into a popular institution with cinemas and open-air screenings. Due to a lack of space and reorganization, the museum eventually moved to the IJ River.

New cultural uses followed later.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: TracesofWar
• Amsterdams Archief, 5191 Archief van de Secretarie; Afdeling Onderwijs en rechtsvoorganger