History Hotel Nicolaas Witsen

Hotel Nicolaas Witsen is located in the Nicolaas Witsenstraat (=street) in Amsterdam. Nicolaas Witsen lived around 1700 and was of signiciant historical impact as a diplomat, writer, cartographer and mayor of Amsterdam. In fact, during his life, he was mayor of Amsterdam thirteen times.

Throughout the centuries Amsterdam expanded drastically. The ground where Hotel Nicolaas Witsen is now located, was once the outskirts of early Amsterdam. Around 1850 there was a gas factory here called ‘De Hollansche Gazfabriek’.

The factory closed down and housing was built in its place. With the expansion of Amsterdam, Hotel Nicolaas Witsen nowadays is right in the middle of the city on the border of the city centre.