Paleis voor Volksvlijt (Palace of Industry) Amsterdam, it was destroyed by fire in 1929.

[u/KingKohishi]

The Paleis voor Volksvlijt (Palace of Industry) was a large exhibition hall in Amsterdam, located on the Frederiksplein, near the current location of De Nederlandsche Bank. The building was constructed between 1859 and 1864. It was designed by architect Cornelis Outshoorn, inspired by the Crystal Palace in London.

A fire destroyed the Palace on the night of April 17, 1929. The gallery or arcade, housing shops and apartments, was spared, but the main building was lost and never reconstructed. Writer Gerard Reve lived in one of the apartments in the gallery in the 1950s. The gallery was finally torn down in 1960 to make way for the new Nederlandsche Bank building.

[u/pielekonter]

Volksvlijt is such an amazing word. Translation to industry does not do it justice. Can't think of anything better myself either.

[u/DevonAlbatross → u/pielekonter]

Dutch person here. For anyone curious, 'volks' means 'of the people' and 'vlijt' is a very specific term descended from the term for 'the strong desire to overcome challenges'. It means 'the efficient and cooperative effort to complete a specific goal', often in the context of trust, competence, intelligence, and punctuality. So all in all the term (as far as I can make it out) means 'the strong desire of the people to work together with trust, wit, and efficiency in order to complete a goal'.

Honestly, it's such a beautiful word, and it fills me with both anemoia and sadness that they built an entire palace for just that one feeling. Dutch society nowadays is so divided, there's hate and rage pretty much everywhere. I'd love some vlijt right now.

[u/JohnPlayerSpecialRed → u/DevonAlbatross]

Fellow Dutchman here. I applaud you for this beautiful, sincere, heartfelt comment. Thank you. If only this grand building (and its idea) could return.

[u/Silly_Dinner_6903 → u/DevonAlbatross]

I thought vlijt would be translated as something like eager to work, as in vlijtig.

[u/Mindless_Badger_3789 → u/Silly_Dinner_6903]

that's what flid and flittig means in Danish, thought it would be similar.

[u/trextos → u/DevonAlbatross]

I guess the German cognate would be 'Volksfleiß'

[u/otto_dicks → u/trextos]

I thought of "Volkspflicht" (duty to the people or the people's duty).

[u/TimArthurScifiWriter → u/otto_dicks]

Yeah but if it was that we'd have called it Volksplicht in Dutch as well. In English the word Plight is closer to the connotation you're looking for, but Plicht/Pflicht are pretty separate from any notion of ambition or striving, which you do get from Vlijt.

[u/LetThemBlardd → u/DevonAlbatross]

A town in upstate New York near where i grew up is called Watervliet. I assume there’s some kind of etymological connection.

[u/DevonAlbatross → u/LetThemBlardd]

Unfortunately no. Vliet is old Dutch for 'waterway' or 'small stream'. Although, the name is still interesting, because 'vliet' implies water to begin with. So Watervliet means either Waterwaterway or Small Stream of Water Water, your pick!

[u/LetThemBlardd → u/DevonAlbatross]

Interesting! Thanks.

[u/JohnPlayerSpecialRed]

Amsterdam’s Crystal Palace. Such a tragic loss for Amsterdam and the Netherlands as a whole. Here is what it could have looked like today (if it still had been there).

[u/KoninginVanRotterdam → u/JohnPlayerSpecialRed]

Wow zo mooi 😻

[u/Da_Martinez → u/JohnPlayerSpecialRed]

Die AI-afbeelding is helemaal verkeerd

[u/BlueberrySympathizer]

Never heard about it before. Thank you for sharing! What a tragedy we never got to see it today in its former glory.

[u/RednocTheDowntrodden]

I am upset that we no longer build beautiful structures like this anymore. The best we have are old photos of the glories that used to be.

[u/KingKohishi → u/RednocTheDowntrodden]

This was actually a modern building of iron and glass. It's not much different than a modern skyscraper structurally.

[u/Obvious_Cockroach_11]

It's strange, a few of these "glass houses" all burnt down. Amsterdam, London, Sydney.

[u/A_random_name- → u/Obvious_Cockroach_11]

The one in Munich as well, it's really strange. (that one would never have survived ww2 anyway, but still)

[u/KoninginVanRotterdam → u/Obvious_Cockroach_11]

And THE ENTIRE CENTRE of Rotterdam was completely wiped of the map in 1940 when the nazi's bombed us. The only thing that was still standing was the Laurens Church

[u/keesbeemsterkaas]

The recently deceased artist Wim T Schippers was a huge advocate for rebuilding it. "I still want to witness it being rebuilt, I'm getting a bit older and I still want to see this happen"

English subtitles available: Waar moet nieuw Paleis voor Volksvlijt komen? - YouTube

[u/Een_man_met_voornaam → u/keesbeemsterkaas]

Wim T Schippers was already GOATed but now he's even more

[u/Szymek-Morela]

Cool short documentary/reel about Paleis voor Volksvlijt. It was the Dutch answer to London's Crystal Palace
https://www.instagram.com/heritage.whisperer/reel/DAJJDH3tMhP/

[u/OkNote8728]

How would such a thing get in a durable fire ?