Oude Stad in Haarlem, North Holland, Netherlands — Northwestern Europe
Drogerij
⎯⎯⎯
Apothecary
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, May 20, 2025
1. Drogerij / Apothecary Marker
Klein Duimpje en de Reus. Bij de bouw van het warenhuis van V&D in 1930-1934 bleef dit pand als enig restant van de oorspronkelijke bebouwing op deze plaats behouden. Bekend voorbeeld van een winkelier die van geen wijken wist.
A.J. van der Pigge Apothecary
"Tom Thumb and the Giant." When the V&D department store was built between 1930 and 1934, this building was the only remaining original structure on this site. A well-known example of a shopkeeper who refused to budge.
Erected by the ANWB, VVV. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.
Location. 52° 22.791′ N, 4° 37.971′ E. Marker is in Haarlem, Noord-Holland (North Holland). It is in Oude Stad. It is on Gedempte Oude Gracht. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Gedempte Oude Gracht 78, Haarlem, Noord-Holland 2011 GT, Netherlands. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, the Benelux Low Countries, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire and specifically also the Holy Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bruiningshofje / Bruinings Almshouse (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Het Pietershuis (about
this page online
Also see . . . Van der Pigge (Wikipedia, in Dutch). Excerpt (in translation):
In 1849, Anthonie Johannes van der Pigge established a "drying and paint business" on Gierstraat. Anthonie van der Pigge had only daughters, and his eldest daughter, Anna, married Joannes van Os. The business has remained in the Van Os family ever since. The sixth generation is now working in the company. In 1999, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix was pleased to grant A.J. van der Pigge Drugstore the title of Purveyor to the Royal Household. This was on the occasion of the store's 150th anniversary.(Submitted on August 20, 2025.)
The Van der Pigge building is surrounded on three sides by the building of Vroom en Dreesmann Haarlem. When the department store was builtin 1929, the drugstore refused to sell the building, forcing the retailer to adjust its construction plans. The Vroom & Dreesmann chain went bankrupt in February 2015. Following this, the Canadian chain Hudson's Bay moved into the historic building. However, this formula was short-lived; on December 31, 2019, Hudson's Bay closed its doors in the Netherlands.Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, May 20, 20252. Drogerij / Apothecary and MarkerThe marker is visible here on the left, above the bicycle.
Van der Pigge deliberately kept the store's interior unchanged throughout its history. The store's interior has remained unchanged since its opening in 1849 and is still in use. It features jars, paper cones, and, since 1920, stuffed crocodiles . The building was registered as a national monument in 1969. In 2017, the exceptionally rare store interior was included in the "Special Interiors" collection of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, May 20, 2025
3. Decoration above the entrance
Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 20, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 81 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 20, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
