1611: First Stock Exchange in the world

Early on in the 17th century Amsterdam developed into the main trade centre of the world. This position was strongly stimulated by the enormous power of the VOC, which was the first company in the world to attract the capital needed for further expansion by issuing public shares in the year 1602. The trade in the shares took place in a specially designed building at the Rokin, which was opened in 1611. This Stock Exchange was designed by Hendrik de Keyzer, the leading architect at that time. De Keyzer was also responsible for structures like the Amsterdam Westertoren and the Mausoleum for William of Orange in the New Church in Delft. As you can see from the images, in this Exchange shares were still traded in the open air. The Stock Exchange built by De Keyzer was demolished midway through the 19th century when it became derelict.

Incidentally, the term ‘Beurs’ (the Dutch word for ‘Exchange’) probably originated in the 13th century in Bruges in what was then the Southern Netherlands. In those days, with Bruges the economic centre of northwest Europe, the Inn in Bruges that was owned by the Ter Burze family gradually developed into the main meeting place for various traders. Various versions of the Dutch word ‘Beurs’ are used in other languages, for instance ‘Bourse’ in French, ‘Bolsa’ in Spanish and Italian and ‘Boerse’ in German.

1845: The Zocher Stock Exchange

The next Stock Exchange was located at the site that is now De Bijenkorf department store, where the Damrak meets the Dam. In its design the Stock Exchange built by Zocher was very similar to that of Hendrick de Keyser: a rectangular building with a south-facing entrance and an open courtyard. However, the exterior was completely different: strongly neoclassical with a portico that, by Dutch standards, featured colossal Ionic columns. Because of its rectangular, temple-like character and the scarcity of windows the Zocher Stock Exchange quickly acquired the nickname ‘the Mausoleum’. Some time later Zocher would also design the Amsterdam Vondelpark.

1875: Amsterdam wants a new Stock Exchange

In the course of the 60s and 70s of the 19th century it became clear that Amsterdam needed a new ‘Traders’ Exchange’. Because of the economic upturn the existing Stock Exchange built by Zocher in 1845 had not only become too small, the style of the building had also become unfashionable. The striking Central Station, designed in 1876, made this even more obvious. The need for a new Stock Exchange combined with the emergence of the Central Station and the Damrak as the new ‘gateway’ to the city were the cause of an extended debate - a debate that would delay the completion of the third Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the Beurs van Berlage (the Berlage Stock Exchange), until 1903.