The Diamond Exchange

Weesperplein 4

In 1911 the Diamond Trade Exchange moved into a new building on Weesperplein. It was designed by architect Gerrit van Arkel (1858-1918), famous for his highly-applauded Asscher diamond factory on Amsterdam's Tolstraat, dating from 1907. The new Diamond Exchange became the symbol of the flourishing Amsterdam diamond trade of those days.
Trade-union leader Henri Polak was most enthusiastic about the Diamond Exchange because it adopted a neutral stance in conflicts between the bosses and the workers. He had the following to say:

'The Exchange has now gained an attractive spacious building of its own, situated at the junction of city square and canal (…). This advance in architectonic terms indicates the advancement of the exchange in a commercial sense. We now see the Exchange, formerly judged by many bigwigs to be insignificant, has gradually developed into a power to be reckoned with in the diamond world. We may now call her the mother-organization in an energetic community of traders and middlemen.'

And Karel Polak, before the war himself a diamond polisher at Asscher's, also expressed himself in positive terms about the Diamond Exchange: 'In those days you couldn't work in the diamond industry unless your father or mother was a diamond worker. It was a kind of caste system, a closed club. What did exist was the General Society of Jewellers, the AJV; once a year the members of this society could select two protégés and have them learn the trade from a jeweller. So I went to the Diamond Exchange, and spoke to Mr van Amerongen, who was then director of the orphanage and always called me "Charley-boy". And he said he'd try to get me a place in the diamond business.' (from Memories of Jewish Amsterdam, 1978).

After World War II Amsterdam failed to recover its former position as 'diamond city'. The Exchange building is now used by the municipal department for the environment.

Collectie en mediatheek

Voorzittershamer 1898
Voorzittershamer van de Bestuurderen der Maatschappij Het Diamantwerkers Wezenfonds
in foudraal van de firma JL Hassoldt Jr. Hamer vervaardigd van ebbenhout en ...
Collectie > Museumstukken > 09320-01

Cassette 1898
Cassette van de firma JL Hassoldt Jr. met daarin een voorzittershamer van de
Bestuurderen der Maatschappij Het Diamantwerkers Wezenfonds.
Collectie > Museumstukken > 09320-02

Brief 1944-02-28
Brief uit Westerbork van Maurits Acathan aan zijn collega
op de diamantbeurs Mevr. B. van Westerop, 1944.
Collectie > Documenten > 00010198

In Memoriam 1949-03
In Memoriam van M. van Moppes in het clubblad van roeivereniging Poseidon, 1949.
Collectie > Documenten > 00010729

Prentbriefkaart 1926 (ca.)
Prentbriefkaart van het Weesperplein in Amsterdam met de Diamantbeurs, circa 1926.
Collectie > Fotos > 40007179

meer treffers in Collectie > Fotos

[Binnenland] : Amsterdam 1896
Het uitkeringsfonds van de "Beurs voor de Diamanthandel"
heeft een gift van de kongingin gekregen.
Collectie > Joodse pers > 20040017

meer treffers in Collectie > Joodse pers

De Amsterdamse Diamantbeurs = The Amsterdam Diamond Exchange 1990
De Amsterdamse Diamantbeurs = The Amsterdam Diamond Exchange.
Collectie > Literatuur > 11507837

Amsterdam's diamond industry and trade 1924
Amsterdam's diamond industry and trade.
Collectie > Literatuur > 12006030

Diamantindustrie en Diamantbeurs 1930-1940
titel, Diamantindustrie en Diamantbeurs. gegevens, VIDEO, 8 min. - sn, 1930=1940.
annotatie, Kopie van band uit de collectie van Edward Asscher. ...
Collectie > Audiovisueel > 40000739

[interview met Evalina Cohen Paraira-Sondervan] 2003
Interview met Evalina Cohen Paraira-Sondervan, geboren 21 mei 1913.
Collectie > Audiovisueel > 40001816