The timber-framed building in front of you is one of only two wooden houses still standing in Amsterdam, and it has been here since the 16th century. Most of the city's wooden structures burned down long ago, which makes this place genuinely rare. Today it operates as a café, but its past is considerably more colourful than the average neighbourhood pub.
In its heyday, In 't Aepjen was a favourite haunt of VOC sailors returning from long voyages to Asia and beyond. Many of them came back short of cash, and the story goes that they paid for their drinks and lodging with something they had picked up along the way: live monkeys. The landlord apparently accepted these animals as payment, and the pub slowly filled with mischievous, restless creatures.
The monkeys, unfortunately, brought fleas. Anyone who spent the night here woke up itching from head to toe. And this, according to popular tradition, is where the Dutch saying "caught in 't Aepjen" was born, meaning to find yourself in a sorry situation through sheer bad luck.
So if someone tells you things have gone badly for them, you now know exactly which flea-ridden pub to blame.
Sources. Story: historiek.net Photos: With gratitude to the Stadsarchief Amsterdam for making the attached photographs publicly accessible and preserving the city’s history for all.
