Beatrixpark

Beatrixpark
The park and the cycle path De Groene Zoom
Type	Urban park
Location	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Coordinates	52°20′34″N 4°52′55″E
Area	17 ha (42 acres)
Created	1938
Operated by	Amsterdam-Zuid
Status	Open all year

The Beatrixpark is a park in the Amsterdam-Zuid borough and is located in the "Prinses Irenebuurt" residential area. The park was named after the former Dutch Queen Beatrix. In 1972, part of the park, together with the Amstelpark, was the site of the Floriade garden and agricultural exhibition.

History

In 1932, the director of the Public Works proposed creating a park between the Scheldeplein square and the Beethovenstraat. In 1933, a plan for the park was drawn up and approved by the mayor in 1935. The decision was made to have the park created by unemployed people ("werkverschaffingsproject"). The costs were estimated at 300,000 guilders, which was accepted by the municipal council.

In May 1938, Beatrixpark was officially opened and is one of the oldest city parks in Amsterdam. The design for the oldest part of the park was by the Dutch architect Jakoba Mulder.

Initially, the park was called Park Zuid ("Park South"). In June 1938, it was already given the name Beatrixpark and during World War II, from 1942 to 1945, it was temporarily called "Diepenbrockpark".[1] After 1945 it got its current name back.[2]

The park has two bicycle paths, the Boerenweteringpad and the De Groene Zoom.

Sightseeing

The Artsenijhof on the eastern side of the park was created during the Floriade and is a herb garden that consists of three parts. Hundreds of medicinal plants grow there.

The chestnut ring has young and very old chestnut trees.

The Pierenbad swimming pool is for young children and has, among other things, a bronze mermaid and a bronze mussel shell from which water flows. The swimming pool is open from May to the beginning of September and is supervised. Entry is free.[3][4]

There is also a playground with a large sandpit. In 2006, the newspaper Het Parool voted the pool the "best Pierenbadje" in Amsterdam. There is also a lawn for relaxation.

• 
  The park (Nov 2007)
• 
  The park (Nov 2007)
• 
  Prinses Irenebrug (Feb 2018)

Monuments

Since 2005, the northern, most original, part of the Beatrixpark has been on the municipal monument list. This protects "the park layout, including the path structure, waterways and groves".[5] The individual trees are unprotected.

There are several protected buildings on the edge of the park:[6]

• Former St. Nicholas Monastery with chapel at Prinses Irenestraat 19 (municipal monument since 2014).
• Apartment building Parkhove at Beethovenstraat (149–155) (municipal monument since 2014).
• Princesseflat on the corner of Beethovenstraat (157–265)/Prinses Irenestraat (Mart Stam, 1961; national monument since 2014).[7]
• Villa at Diepenbrockstraat 15 near Zuider Amstelkanaal (Frits Eschauzier, Delftse School, 1938; national monument since 2004).[8]

Festival

In 2009 and 2011, a music festival was held in Beatrix Park, including opera and theater performances. The big band Orquestra Bembe played salsa and jazz music. The music group Soul Express performed songs from the 1960s and 1970s. Children were able to take part in art activities during the festival.[9]

Rules

There are a few rules for visitors at the park. Dogs are not allowed. Open fires, for example for barbecues, are not permitted. Bicycles should be parked at the bike racks at the entrance of the park, unless they are being used on the bike paths. Alcohol consumption that leads to disruptive situations is prohibited.

Parks with the name Beatrixpark are also in the Dutch cities of Almere, 's-Hertogenbosch, Schiedam, Utrecht and Ede.

Transport connections

The Beatrixpark can be reached by Amsterdam tram number 5. Stop Prinses Irenestraat.[10]

Literature

• Richter Roegholt: Amsterdam in de 20e eeuw. S. 69. Uitgevereij Spectrum 1979
• Merel Ligtelijn, Ernest Kurpershoek: Het Beatrixpark, Kroniek van een Amsterdams stadspark. Mit DVD. Uitgeverij Ginkgo, Leiden. ISBN 90-807009-4-0

References

1. Vgl. hierzu: Richter Roegholt: Amsterdam in de 20e eeuw. S. 69. Zitat: "Het Beatrixpark, dat tijdens de bezetting Diepenbrockpark had geheten, kreeg nu zijn rechtmatige naam terug. Hiervandaan was het Zuider Amstelkanaal een scherpe begrenzing tot aan de Amstelveenseweg"
2. "Die Geschichte des Beatrix Park" (in Dutch). vriendenbeatrixpark.nl. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
3. Archived (Date missing) at zuid.amsterdam.nl (Error: unknown archive URL). 11 July 2012. Mit Fotos. Niederländisch, retrieved 12 January 2013.
4. Peuterbadje im Beatrixpark. Mit Karte. Niederländisch, retrieved 12 January 2013.
5. Gemeente Amsterdam, Stadsdeel ZuiderAmstel, DB-besluit 28 juni 2005: plaatsing van het Beatrixpark op de gemeentelijke monumentenlijst.
6. Gemeente Amsterdam: plattegrond met gemeentelijke en rijksmonumenten. Gearchiveerd op 15 December 2022.
7. "Beethovenstraat 157, 1077 JD te Amsterdam (532211)". Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
8. "Diepenbrockstraat 15, 1077 VX te Amsterdam (527835)". Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
9. Muziekfestival im Beatrixpark Archived 26 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Niederländisch, retrieved 12 January 2013.
10. Straßenbahn Nr. 5 Archived 25 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Haltestelle Prinses Irenestraat zum Beatrixpark