The Red Light District in Amsterdam has an earned reputation for being the center of adult
entertainment in the city. But it also has an interesting history as this is the oldest part of the
city, which was very much connected to the harbor. Therefore there are many historical and
cultural attractions here worth visiting.
Unfortunately, in an effort to reduce noise and traffic in this area, guided tours are not
allowed on certain streets. Therefore I still describe these points of interest on my tour even
if we have to go around some of these important places.
One of these places is the Majoor Bosshardthuis (The House of Major Bosshardt). From 1950
to 2000, Major Alida Bosshardt dedicated her life to helping the poor, underprivileged and
misfortunate of Amsterdam. She helped establish the Amsterdam office of the Salvation
Army, which opened its house in the Red Light District. Here, Alida lived and took care of drug
addicts, prostitutes, homeless and other people in need. She often took some of them into
her home. During WW2, under Nazi occupation, Alida aided Jewish children to go into hiding
in some of the hidden homes around the city. Her efforts were well-known and she became
one of the most important people of the city. Queen Beatrix even helped her work.
The museum, which was her former house, is the oldest brick building in the city. You can’t
help notice its prominent features: stepped gables, red brick facade and colorful window
decorations. The museum tells the detailed story of Alida and the Salvation Army’s work. It is
open from Thursday through Saturday and can only be seen with a museum guided tour.
When visiting, do not miss the statue of Alida, which sits canal-side, just north of the
museum. The statue is of Alida sitting on a bench, with a quote from her: “God’s work is the
People’s work”. People love to sit next her and have their photo taken.
The Major Alida Bosshardt House is another example of important Dutch history, overlooked
by most tourist guides. Discover it here after taking one of our walking tours.
Oudezijds Armsteeg 19
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