Bet van Beeren
| Bet van Beeren | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Elisabeth Maria van Beeren 12 February 1902 Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
| Died | 16 July 1967 (aged 65) Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Other names | Queen of the Zeedijk |
| Occupation | bar owner |
| Years active | 1927-1967 |
| Known for | Café 't Mandje |
Bet van Beeren (12 February 1902—16 July 1967) was a flamboyant, legendary bar owner in Amsterdam. While hers wasn't the first bar that allowed LGBT persons to openly associate, the fact that she was openly lesbian, and accepting of a very diverse clientele, led her establishment to be one of the most known. In 2017, she was honored by the city of Amsterdam when a canal bridge was renamed in her honor.
Elisabeth Maria van Beeren was born on 12 February 1902 in the Jordaan neighborhood of Amsterdam to Maria Johanna (née Brants) and Johannes Hendrik van Beeren. She was the oldest daughter and one of thirteen children of the couple. Her father worked in street construction and her mother ran a boarding house and delivered fish and vegetables by car around the neighborhood. Bet's education ended at middle school because her family needed her to work.
Van Beeren went to work in a canning factory on Haarlemmerweg, quickly working her way up to foreman, but she didn't like the job and the work was dangerous. She lost two fingertips while working and after a fight with her boss, quit and went to work for her uncle at his pub, Amstelstroom, where she had previously worked part time. She also rode around town in leather clothing on her motorcycle and sold fish. In 1927, she bought the bar with loans from the Oranjeboom Brewery and thereafter, was always loyal to that brand of beer, though other breweries later tried to gain her patronage. It was very unusual for a woman to own a business at that time, especially on the rough seawall area where it was located. She renamed the pub, Café 't Mandje (The Basket Café) because her mother brought the food in every day in a basket.
Van Beeren ran an open establishment where lesbians and gays could freely associate as long as there was no kissing, which would have violated the vice laws and have cost her her liquor license. Her mixed clientele included artists, intellectuals, pimps and prostitutes, sailors, and Major Bosshardt, the disapproving head of the Salvation Army. Van Beeren was flamboyant, craving the spotlight, and often dressed in a sailor suit or leathers, entertaining her clients with singing and dancing. She was openly lesbian, though she could entertain wealthy men if it would put meat or pastries on her family table. She drank a lot, some reports were 40 bottles of beer a day, and could curse like a sailor.
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