Village Hall of Broek in Waterland
Of and for the village, since 1775.
This is what Neeltje meant
She wrote it down. We're still doing it.
In 1775, Neeltje Pater wrote her will: this house may never be used for anything other than the common good of the citizens of Broek in Waterland. Two and a half centuries later, we know that sentence better than our own name, and ever since it has appeared word for word in every rental contract, user agreement or management document
You come every Tuesday for the seniors' club. Walk straight from the schoolyard at 08:35 to the living room for a good cup of coffee and a newspaper. Or on Saturday you celebrate your birthday (with village discount) in the same hall where your grandfather got married.
You don't have to order anything to come in. You don't need a membership card. Reservations: not necessary. You can celebrate your birthday or come to work through your grief. Talk our ears off, or just sit quietly in a corner.
Curious what's going on?
A calendar full of life
Almost every day something for the village.
Every month the calendar has a lot that stays the same and a lot that changes: Tuesday, a fixed favourite: the seniors' club. Wednesday morning: crawling club in the living room. Thursday: the Thursday bite. Friday evening: bridge in the Great Hall.
Sometimes a pub quiz on Thursday evening — Jur pulls the pints, Evert asks the questions, and once again Sophie doesn't know the answer to the music round. In spring and autumn: a clothing swap market, full of bin-bag fashion. And in August... the festival week. And once we've recovered from that: wine tastings, Sinterklaas dropping by for coffee, and oliebollen as a farewell.
Who's there every day, everywhere, always? Who do you think?
Call Jeppe, or send him an email. Or drop by. He's always cheerful and always up for a chat.
Become a Housemate
Your village hall only truly becomes a home with you in it.
No committee, no minutes, no hierarchy. Housemates are the link between the House and the village. They organise activities, gather ideas from neighbours, spot what's missing and help think about what's possible. Just people who feel like doing something and make the village a little nicer.
Everyone from 6 to 100+ is welcome. Whether you're a teenager with fresh ideas or a Broeker who has lived here for fifty years — your input counts. As housemates we get together about once a quarter. The rest happens along the way.
Want to join in, or learn more?
The village inside the House
From choir to bridge club, from foundation to village council.
Mixed Choir
Every week the high notes ring out in the House.
From old singalong regulars to fresh voices — the Broeker Koor rehearses weekly in the House. No audition, plenty of fun.
Broeker Bridge Club
Spades, clubs and the occasional squabble.
A fixture in the House for years. Experienced players, new faces welcome. Every week an evening of cards and chatter.
Stichting Neeltje Pater
On the boards & behind the scenes. Of and for the village.
Theatre projects that come out of Broek. Sometimes big, sometimes small, always surprising. Named after the woman who started it all.
More from Broek
The village has more than you think.
Football Club SDOB
From the F1 youth team to the first team.
Football in Broek, for generations. Every Saturday on the touchline, every third half in the House.
Vereniging Oud Broek
Everything about the past.
Guided tours, lectures, an archive. The historical society keeps the village's memory alive.
And more...
Ice-skating club, tennis, the village council, SOOS.
Broek in Waterland has more than twenty clubs and foundations. From the fire brigade to the seniors' society — Broek is buzzing.
Do drop in.
The House is open. Just like always.
Het Broeker Huis is open from Tuesday through Sunday. Come for coffee, come to sing, come for nothing at all. The village carries on behind the front door.
Want to organise something for the village? A neighbourhood drinks, a lecture, a film night, an idea that doesn't have a name yet? Email us or just walk in. Making room is what we do.
Reserve a table or just walk in?