Shipyard 't Kromhout in the year 1900
Shipyard 't Kromhout located at the Hoogte Kadijk in Amsterdam, is one of the very few still operating shipyards of cultural and historical importance. In this leaflet you will find in brief a survey of the past and present of this shipyard.

The Origin of the Nautical Area.
By intensive marsh draining the so called Eastern Islands (Kattenburg - Wittenburg - Oostenburg) were formed in the middle of the 17th century. Together with the later built waterbarriers "The Kadyken", these isles formed the waterfront designated as shipbuilding areas in addition to the existing industry of Amsterdam. These newly formed islands and "The Kadyken" flourished unprecedentedly in the 18th century, but this ended abrubtly with the French occupation at the end of that century. By sealing of the European mainland from the British Isles, trade collapsed and with it the shipbuilding industry.

After a short revival mainly due to the efforts of Willem I, nicknamed the "Merchant-King", at around 1860 the traditional wooden shipbuilding industry further declined. From then on the nature of the activities altered and, with that, the professions of the population and their public life.

After 1960 the area concerned was renovated and people became more aware of the historic value of this old shipbuilding quarter. This awareness is shown by the restored 's Lands Zeemagazijn (Warehouse of the Admirality) the present National Maritime Museum, a single left warehouse of the Dutch East-Indian Company (VOC) and shipyard 't Kromhout.

Shipbuilding Industry on The Islands.
The expansion of the Eastern Islands was mainly due to the flourishing VOC and the Admirality. They ware able to set up a shipbuilding industry on much larger scale than before. Until then those activities were carried out at the adjacent areas "Rapenburg" and "Uilenburg" and the already mentioned sites closer to the centre of the town. In order to meet the requirements for the VOC and the Admirality, large company and government owned yards including warehouses were founded on the newly formed islands.

Gradually also private shipyards were founded on the islands and the "Kadyken". At the end of the 17th century there were about thirty shipyards in this area. Most of them were rather small and not capable of building sea-going vessels. Evidently also shipbuilding related industrial activities took place on the islands; like sawmills, rope-walks, smithy's etc. Until about 1880 this area was the leading centre of the shipbuilding industry with wood as the most used material.

With the introduction of iron as building material and the development of the steam engine, yards could stay in business only by introducing new production processes and working skills.
For many of the smaller yards the change was too heavy a burden, due to the necessity of capital investments and the lack of basic know-how. One of the few shipyards, annex engineering works, survived the transition was the Royal Netherlands Factory of Machines and Railway Materiel, later called Werkspoor, which was founded by the director of the Amsterdam Steamship Line, mr. Paul van Vlissingen.
Also 't Kromhout, one of the smaller shipyards, belonged to the survivors by exellent craftsmanship and progressive management.

Shipyard 't Kromhout.
In 1757 the name "Kromhout" was first mentioned at the place of the present shipyard. The shipwright Doede Jansen Kromhout altered the former located forge into a shipyard under the name 't Kromhout being translated also a "knee-timber". Some hundred years later the yard was bought by Daniël Goedkoop Sr. From the beginning he equipped the shipyard with the basic gear required to construct iron ships. His son Daniël Goedkoop Jr. was the man who made it a flourishing company. In 1888 a big reorganisation took place: the first awing was built, a steam-slipway and electric lighting was introduced. By that time the yard and its machine shop became one of the most modern enterprises, registered under the trademark "Kromhout" like the given name of a century ago. In 1899 a part of the yard was rearranged for the construction of steam engines and boilers. New building space was obtained and a second awing erected to contain a complete machine shop and an enlarged forge.

In 1901 Goedkoop's brother Jan starts experimenting with petrol engines. In 1904 he constructed a four stroke paraffin motor with sparkplug ignition. By this important technical innovation a firm base was laid for the later series of Kromhout internal Combustion Engines. Until their own designed intermediate-pressure hotbulb engine proved to be reliable, the paraffin motor stayed in production. In the further development of marine-engines, the Kromhout Engine Factory plays a leading role. After WW I the factory controlled forty percent of the inland market.

In 1908 the factory was partly moved to Amsterdam-North due to lack of space. The Kromhout Engine Factory was taken over by Werkspoor in 1968, a last attempt to withstand the heavy foreign competition. But business ceased shortly afterwards and in 1968 the company and its trademark "Kromhout" Finally vanished forever. In 1911 the yard premises of 't Kromhout were sold to the company of the widow of mr J.A. Ceuvel, owner of the adjoining shipyard the "Vredenhof". This company merged with shipyard the "Volharding" in Amsterdam-North. Later on all the important equipment was brought there and gradually the old shipyard at the Hoogte Kadijk became more and more outdated and was ready for demolition. In 1970 the director of the "Ceuvel-Volharding" company, mr Louis Pietersen, started a campaign to preserve the shipyard. He got support from mr Hazelhoff Roelzema, at that time director of the National Maritime Museum. The rescue attempt was successful and led the establishment of the foundation "Stichting Werf 't Kromhout" in 1973. Stichting "Werf 't Kromhout". (Foundation Museum Shipyard 't Kromhout)

What makes 't Kromhout unique is the combination of an industrial monument, an operating shipyard and a museum. The very location and the awnings were good reasons to place 't Kromhout on the list of protected monuments.
The main activities at the shipyard are restoration and repairs of all kinds of vessels both historic and modern. A good example are the masts manufactured for two Dutch 17th century replica ships. One formely berthed in Japan at Nagasaki (and now in Den Helder, North of Holland) and the other named "Amsterdam" at the National Maritime Museum.
The museum consist of an exhibition where shipbuilding and the development of naval-propulsion are visualized. Beside ancient shipbuilding-tools and steam-engines, the museum has a fine collection of internal combustion engines of which the Kromhout-engines from a good part.
Hereby ends the abridged story of the Eastern Islands, the Kadyken and 't Kromhout. The only thing yet mentioned is to pay a visit to the museum, were you will find the refined atmosphere of salty air mixed with the fumes of diesel oil and the coal-fire flames of the forge will combine to make the experience one to remember.

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The Museumyard 't Kromhout
Adress: Hoogte Kadijk 147
1018 BJ Amsterdam.

Telephone: (020) 6276777
Open: Tuesday, 10.00-15.00 hour.