Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

Historical eventApril 111888

Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, considered one of the world's finest concert halls, was inaugurated.

In context

When
Wednesday, April 11 1888138 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1880s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1888.

What happened

History The architect of the building was Adolf Leonard van Gendt  [ nl ] , [ 1 ] who was inspired by the Gewandhaus in Leipzig , built two years earlier (and destroyed in 1943). [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Construction began in 1883 in a pasture that was then outside the city, [ 4 ] [ 5 ] in Nieuwer-Amstel, a municipality that in 1964 became Amstelveen . A total of 2,186 wooden piles, 12 to 13 metres (40 to 43 ft) long, were emplaced in the soil. [ 6 ]

The Royal Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" translates into English as "concert building". Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls in the world, along with New York's Carnegie Hall, Boston's Symphony Hall and the Musikverein in Vienna.

April 11 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1888Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
  2. 2006President of Iran
  3. 20072007 Algiers Government Palace bombings
  4. 2008Kata Air Transport Flight 007
  5. 20112011 Minsk Metro bombing
  6. 20122012 Indian Ocean earthquakes
  7. 2017Borussia Dortmund
  8. 2018Ilyushin Il-76
  9. 2021Killing of Daunte Wright
  10. 2023Myanmar Air Force
  11. 2023Pazigyi massacre

Also in 1888

  • August 14Arthur SullivanOne of the first recordings of music, of Arthur Sullivan's "The Lost Chord", was played at a press conference in London to introduce Thom…
  • December 9Argosy (magazine)The first edition of the Argosy magazine was published under the title The Golden Argosy.
  • May 12North BorneoNorth Borneo was established as a British protectorate.
  • October 9Washington MonumentThe Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., at the time the world's tallest building, officially opened to the general public.
  • March 11Great Blizzard of 1888The Great Blizzard of 1888 struck the northeastern United States, producing snowdrifts in excess of 50 ft (15 m) and confining some peopl…
  • November 9Mary Jane KellyMary Jane Kelly, widely believed to be the fifth and final victim of the notorious unidentified serial killer Jack the Ripper, was murder…
  • October 30LobengulaLobengula, King of Matabeleland, granted the Rudd Concession (pictured) to agents of Cecil Rhodes, leading to the creation of the British…
  • August 5Bertha BenzBertha Benz made the first long-distance automobile trip, driving 106 km (66 mi) from Mannheim to Pforzheim, Germany, in a Benz Patent-Mo…

Everything we record for 1888 →

Sources

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“Concertgebouw, Amsterdam”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/concertgebouw-amsterdam-1888-april-11, accessed October 28, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Concertgebouw, Amsterdam happen?

April 11 1888 — 138 years ago, on a Wednesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

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