Jurjentje Aukes Rauwerda

Jurjentje Aukes Rauwerda (14 December 1812, in Oentsjerk – 3 October 1877, Amsterdam),[1] later Jurrentje Weinthal,[1] was a Dutch prostitute and procurer. She was famous among members of her profession in the contemporary Netherlands, and ran the largest brothel in Amsterdam, the Maison Weinthal.

Jurjentje Aukes Rauwerda
Jurjentje Aukes Rauwerda
Born(1812-12-14)December 14, 1812
Oentsjerk, the Netherlands
DiedOctober 3, 1877(1877-10-03) (aged 64)
Amsterdam
NationalityDutch
Other namesJurrentje Weinthal
OccupationProstitute, Brothel madam
Spouse(s)Benjamin Salomon Weinthal (1804-1855) m. 1843
ChildrenJacoba Rauwerda (1835-1919)
Johan Rauwerda (1837-1838)
Heiman Rauwerda (1839-1840)
Bernard Weinthal (1844-?)
Parents
  • Auke Klases Rauwerda (1777-1858) (father)
  • Blijke Jurjens Uitterdijk (1775-1851) (mother)

Biography

Jurjentje Rauwerda was the daughter of carpenter Auke Klases Rauwerda (1777-1858) and Blijke Jurjens Uitterdijk (1775-1851).[2] On 3 October 1835 she gave birth to a daughter, Jacoba Frederika, who was reputed to be the daughter of Parisian porcelain manufacturer Monsieur Lejeune.[3] By 1837 she was living in Leeuwarden, and gave birth to a son, Johan Frederik, who died a year later.[2] In the Leeuwarden census of 1839 Rauwerda was not registered, but her daughter Jacoba Frederika was noted as living with Jurjentje's parents.[2] Later the same year she gave birth to a second son, Heiman, who died five months later.[2] A third son, Willem, was born on 31 July 1842. Willem was rumoured to have been the child of William III of the Netherlands.[4][5]

In 1843, she was officially registered as a seamstress in Leeuwarden, living with her two surviving children in Speelmansstraat, in the Jewish part of the city. In May that year she moved to the adjacent Zuupsteeg.[2] On November 2, 1843 she married Benjamin Salomon Weinthal[2] (1804-1855).[6] Their son, Bernard, was born in 1844. In 1847 they moved to Groningen.[2]

Maison Weinthal

Benjamin Weinthal founded the brothel, Maison Weinthal, in 1827 at Pijpenmarkt (now Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal), Amersterdam,[6] in the building later numbered as 229 Voorburgwal. The brothel was a short walking distance from the Royal Palace. It was run by various madams until around 1850.[7]

Around 1850 the adjacent buildings were purchased and the brothel extended into them. The brothel was now from 227 - 229 Voorburgwal. The revamped establishment now boasted a winter garden, a large salon where the women could meet clients and luxuriously appointed 'work rooms'. Behind the scenes there were dormitories to the women, who all lived-in.[7]

By 1852 Jurjentje was running the brothel. In the Staat van Huizen van Ontucht (State of Houses of Fornication), drawn up by the Amsterdam Police in that year,[6] Jurjentje was listed the brothel owner[2] and there were 6 women listed as working there.[6] The following year Benjamin brought a house called Vredenwensch in Franschelaan, located in the Plantage district. Jurjentje and the three children continued to live at the brothel. By this time there were 15 women working there from the Netherlands, Germany and France[2]

Benjamin died in 1855. In his will he left Jurjentje's children Jacoba and Willem 2,500 guilders each. The rest of the estate was left to Jurjentje and Bernard. In January 1856 the house in Franschelaan was sold and an inventory of Benjamin's estate was drawn up. Within a safe 4600 guilders in cash and gold and silver jewellery was found. During this time Benjamin's daughter from a previous relationship, Lisette Weinthal, appeared and make a claim on the estate. On 31 July that year an agreement was made and the estate divided.

Jurjentje continued to run the brothel with the assistance of her daughter Jacoba. In 1860 Bernard died. The brothel was exclusive and successful and between 1864 and 1875, 225 women worked there. In 1877 Jurjentje died and Jacoba continued to run the brothel[2] until its closure in 1902.[8]

References
  1. "Jurjentje Aukes Rauwerda". www.biografischportaal.nl. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  2. "Rauwerda, Jurjentje Aukes (1812-1877)". resources.huygens.knaw.nl (in Dutch). Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  3. "Rauwerda, Jacoba (1835-1919)". resources.huygens.knaw.nl (in Dutch). Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  4. "Willem Rauwerda (1842-????) » West-Europese adel » Genealogie Online". Genealogie Online (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  5. Oldenkamp, Johan (6 February 2018). "Willem "Gorilla" van Nassau, het beest der beesten". Pateo.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  6. de Wildt, Annemarie (March 2002). "Nummer 3: Maart 2002". Ons Amsterdam (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  7. "Liefde te koop - Vier eeuwen prostitutie in Amsterdam". www.kunstbus.nl. Archived from the original on 29 September 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  8. Blekendaal, Martijn. "De handel in blanke slavinnen". Historisch Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 March 2019.

Further reading
  • Bossenbroek, M. P.; Kompagnie, Jan H. (1998). Het mysterie van de verdwenen bordelen: prostitutie in Nederland in de negentiende eeuw [The mystery of the disappeared brothels: prostitution in the Netherlands in the nineteenth century] (in Dutch). B. Bakker. ISBN 9789035119055.
  • Huitzing, An (1983). Betaalde liefde: prostituées in Nederland 1850-1900 [Paid love: prostitutes in the Netherlands 1850-1900]. Octavo. ISBN 9070805022.
  • de Wildt, Annemarie; Arnoldussen, Paul (2002). Liefde te koop: vier eeuwen prostitutie in Amsterdam [Love For Sale: four centuries of prostitution in Amsterdam] (in Dutch). Lubberhuizen. ISBN 9789076314945.
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