Stadsbank van Lening, Historic bank building on Oudezijds Voorburgwal, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Stadsbank van Lening is a bank building on Oudezijds Voorburgwal in Amsterdam, distinguished by carved doorways, stone cross-framed windows, and decorative gables. The structure displays traditional Dutch architecture with carefully crafted details that reflect the craftsmanship of earlier centuries.
Founded in 1614, the bank converted a former warehouse that had served the poorhouse by storing peat supplies. This transformation marked the beginning of a significant social institution that played a role in Amsterdam's financial life for centuries.
The name "Stadsbank van Lening" means city pawn bank, reflecting its original purpose of providing loans to Amsterdam's poorest residents. The inscription above the entrance reveals how central this institution was to helping ordinary people through financial hardship.
The building is located on Oudezijds Voorburgwal in central Amsterdam and is easily accessible on foot. Keep in mind this is an active banking building, so viewing may be limited to the exterior or during regular business hours.
The building preserves the chair of poet Joost van den Vondel, who worked as a clerk here for ten years starting in 1658. This unexpected connection links a major Dutch writer to the daily operations of this financial institution.
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