Rail trailer garage
Past
Various narrow-gauge railways criss-cross the Hembrug site, along which lorries – small rail wagons – were pushed by employees. This was an easy way to transport heavy goods across the site from the station. The lorries and forklifts were maintained in the garage. The fire brigade was also based here. Later on, the garage moved and the development department was housed here.
A former employee recalls: ‘I rode on a lorry and drove diesel vehicles. In winter, gritting was my job. If I was picked up at night in a taxi by the site police, I’d grab a diesel vehicle and go and get a full sand cart. I attached this to the vehicle and drive all over the site. I’d grab a coffee from the gatekeeper then continue my journey over the whole site. When the sand was all gone, I went to the lads to get the trailer filled, because ‘that wasn’t Willem’s job. Willem drove the diesel vehicle, the lads shovelled the sand.’
Present
The Atelier of Maarten Heijkamp is currently based here. Heijkamp is a visual artist who creates large-scale photographic works using a camera obscura.
More information: https://www.maartenheijkamp.nl/
Unloading of crates, 1895-1973
An employee of the Shipping Department uses a forklift truck to unload crates from a lorry.
The Zaans Museum was founded in 1998 on the Zaanse Schans to guard and preserve the Zaan heritage.
The Hembrug Museum tells the story of the arms and ammunition factory that was located on the Hembrugterrein in Zaandam.
In 1697, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great stayed in this world-famous house in the center of Zaandam.
