More People in Hiding, just like in the Anne Frank House
With its twin stepped gables, pale yellow window frames and red shutters, it’s one of the prettiest houses in the city. Currently it is home of a well-known restaurant, De Silveren Spiegel, which serves up traditional Dutch food with a modern twist. While walking or touring around Amsterdam, you must stop here and take a photo.
But the building has an interesting history. The street, Kattengat (cat’s hole) was a narrow ditch that was filled-in in 1601. The house was originally built in 1614 for soap magnate Laurens Janz Spieghel. It was actually two houses: #4, which he named De Silveren Spiegel (Silver Mirror); and #6, which was named De Goude Spiegel (Golden Mirror). In 1671, the round Lutheran Church (Koppelkerk) was built next door and still shadows over the house.
When the Netherlands was occupied by the Nazis during World War 2, the Germans began their round-ups of Jews and other “undesirables” and transported them to their concentration camps. At this time the house was owned by Wies Hoffman, an Austrian woman, who also ran a bar/café on the ground floor of the house. One of her regulars was a Jewish demolition man, named Berend de Hond. With the deportations increasing, De Hond wanted to move his family into hiding, so he asked Wies if they could live in the upper floors of her house. De Hond would modify the space just under the roof, so his family could not be detected.
He moved in with his wife and son and over time, anywhere from 8 to 16 people lived in the hiding places built by De Hond. The bar became popular with the German soldiers, who never suspected that Wies was a Jewish sympathizer and part of the Resistance. At last, the Germans raided Wies’ house, looking for hiders. Wies suspected that her neighbor’s daughters, who were dating German soldiers, tipped them off.
Although the house was raided by the Germans six times, they never found anyone or anything beyond the regular attic. With the war finally over in 1945, the De Honds were able to come out after 4 years of hiding…they were free at last.
De Silveren Spiegel is one of the hidden gems on our Amsterdam walking tour.
Be sure to book your tour with us, Amsterdam and You Walking Tours.
Kattengat 4-6
Ready to explore Amsterdam?
Book Your Tour →
