House with the Heads

In front of you is one of the most striking houses on the Keizersgracht. Notice the six stone heads peering out between the windows: they gave the building its name, and one of the bloodiest legends in the city.

1What the records say

The house was built in 1622 for Nicolaas Sohier, a wealthy merchant and art collector. Its Renaissance façade is attributed to the workshop of Hendrick de Keyser and was probably finished by his son Pieter, since Hendrick died in 1621. In 1634 it was bought by Louis de Geer, a powerful arms and iron magnate, and his family lived here for generations. Among their guests was the Czech educator Jan Amos Comenius, who lived in exile in Amsterdam.

2The legend of the maid

According to popular tradition, one night, while the owners were away, burglars broke into the house. The maid, alone, caught them one by one as they came down into the cellar and cut off their heads. The six heads on the façade would be the memorial to her deed. Some versions speak of seven burglars, one of whom managed to escape.

Studies of the façade identify the heads as six classical gods: Apollo, Ceres, Mercury, Minerva, Bacchus and Diana.

The mystery lives on in another form today: since 2017 the house has been home to the Embassy of the Free Mind, which displays part of a great collection of books on Hermeticism, alchemy and mysticism assembled by Joost Ritman.

3What to look out for

• The six heads: look for Minerva's helmet and Bacchus's grapes to tell them apart.
• The stepped gable, richly ornamented, typical of the Dutch Renaissance.
• The size of the house, twice as wide as its neighbours, a sign of enormous wealth.