De Rode Hoed

Until 1629 a hatter plied his trade in a workshop behind Keizersgracht 102-106. De Rode Hoed owes its name to the red hat that still adorns the gable of no. 104, next to the entrance of the Grote Zaal. In the same year wine-merchant Antoni de Lange and physician Jan van Hartoghvelt bought the hatters workshop as clandestine church for the banned Remonstrant congregation. In 1630, a real church was built on the original foundations of the hatters workshop with access through Keizersgracht 102 and 108. The architectural style reflected the simplicity and sobriety of the Remonstrant doctrines. The building, which is thought to be based on a Huguenot church near Paris, was constructed in a gallery form with a wooden frame and barrel vaulting. The original organ was built around 1719 by the German Thomas Weidtmann. The present organ, dating from 1862, was built by the Amsterdam organ builder P. Flaes. The premises continued to serve as a Remonstrant church until 1957. This is the oldest and largest clandestine church remaining in the Netherlands. De Rode Hoed Cultural Centre was officially opened on 14 September 1990. De Rode Hoed may be rented for a wide variety of purposes. In addition to the Grote Zaal (main hall), it has four smaller rooms (Keizerzaal, Kleine Zaal, Banningzaal and Souterrain) and a foyer. Individually and collectively, these five rooms offer various facilities for congresses, concerts, symposiums, meetings, (wedding) receptions and dinners. They accommodate groups of 5-450 persons.