The rich history of Het Nutshuis

It would be going too far to give King William I all the credit for initiating the Nutsspaarbank (Nuts savings bank), but his approval and support were certainly a powerful incentive. The introduction of the Nutsspaarbank was a significant part of a package of initiatives that the sovereign and state introduced in the hope of reducing poverty in the kingdom.

The Nutsspaarbank in The Hague has moved several times in its history. The first office that the bank had built was located on the corner of Westeinde in Jan Hendrikstraat and only stood for a few years, because the government in The Hague decided to widen Jan Hendrikstraat and Torenstraat in order to accommodate the explosively growing city traffic.

On 17 December 1921, after long periods of planning and building with multiple delays, the new building of the Nutsspaarbank finally celebrated its official opening. The monumental building on the corner of Jan Hendrikstraat and Riviervismarkt served as the head office of The Hague branch of the Nutsspaarbank from 1921 until 1992.

The Nutsspaarbank was an all-male stronghold for a staggering 123 years. The first women were employed during World War II, but after that, it still took decades before a woman was appointed to a managerial position.

The bank was traditionally an institution for the older generations. This gradually started to change in the 20th century. As children’s piggybanks began to overflow, it was time to persuade them to deposit their precious pennies with the Nutsspaarbank. 

For over fifty years, the Hague Nutsspaarbank went to the people. First with travelling sub-branches, and later with Mobile Service.

Anyone who saved with the Nutsspaarbank will remember the savings books. As well as the standard version, the Nutsspaarbank sometimes brought out special editions. They included a savings book to mark a birth, World Savings Day or the week that Princess Beatrix was born. They’re all tangible mementoes of a banking era that holds fond memories for many a former saver. The same applies to the special edition piggy banks. 

The Nutsspaarbank grew beyond its seams in the 1950s. The board therefore started thinking about a new building. The intended location was literally around the corner: on Jan Hendrikstraat.

The Nutsspaarbank continued to grow and develop. Additional buildings were purchased and the head office was given a new purpose. In 1968, the bank bought the monumental neighboring building: Riviervismarkt 4. And years later also number 3. Both buildings already had a long history dating back to the 14th century.

Money from the bank was not always driven from one branch to another in armored vans. In more innocent times, employees of the Nutsspaarbank would jump on their bikes with plastic bags full of money. They drove from the head office to their branch office with tens of thousands of guilders.

When the Nutsspaarbank The Hague merged with the VSB Bank in 1992, the foundation behind the Nutsspaarbank was left with a large share package. This foundation was later renamed Fonds 1818.

No one had any idea how beautiful Het Nutshuis, especially the Bankhal, from 1921 was when a thorough renovation of the building started eighty years later. Original details that had disappeared over the years under suspended ceilings and behind false walls emerged and were restored to their former glory.