A sandwich, a cup of coffee, and some music to catch my breath
In 1966, Ineke van Dok-Mak worked long hours as a nurse at Dijkzigt Hospital. After a grueling shift, she had little money left for leisure activities. Still, she found a place nearby where she could briefly escape her daily routine: on the steps of the newly opened Doelen.
Music at your fingertips
Shortly after it opened in May 1966, free coffee concerts were regularly held in the Grote Zaal hall. The concerts drew large crowds. Visitors didn’t have to buy a ticket or take a seat in one of the halls. They could simply pull up a chair and listen. Ineke also discovered the coffee concerts. As a nurse, she worked shifts from 9:00 to 10:00, earning a salary of 125 guilders a month. After paying her fixed expenses, she had hardly any money left for concerts or other outings. The free concerts at De Doelen, however, made music accessible to her.
A break from the hard work
Ineke and her coworkers sat on the stairs in the lobby. They ate the sandwiches they’d brought with them and, as far as she can remember, were sometimes given a free cup of coffee. It was a stark contrast to their work at the hospital. Nursing work was physically demanding. Automatic doors and equipment to help lift patients didn’t exist yet. During the coffee concerts, they didn’t have to do anything for a while. They could sit, listen, and let the music carry them away. It was a brief moment of peace that helped them catch their breath after their hard work.
A concert hall for the city
Ineke’s memory doesn’t just tell us something about the coffee concerts. It also shows what De Doelen meant to the people of Rotterdam from its very earliest years. Music wasn’t confined to the concert halls. It could also be heard in the central hall, where people met and could join in without a ticket. In this way, the building became a place where music became part of everyday life in the city. Sixty years later, Ineke’s recollection still illustrates what music can mean: a moment of comfort, connection, or a brief escape from the daily hustle and bustle. The coffee concerts are a thing of the past, but the power of listening together still resonates at de Doelen.
This story is based on a memory or archival document from the Doelengeheugen.
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