In this series, city guide Bas Berkesteijn visits places in the Nieuwmarkt neighborhood that are connected to extraordinary, exciting, and sometimes gruesome stories from the past. This time, he is standing in the middle of Zeedijk, near a alleyway that you easily pass by… The legend of Dina and Helena in the Spooksteeg: the most famous ghost story in Amsterdam.
De Spooksteeg: a small alley in the middle of the Zeedijk
In the middle of Zeedijk you will find Spooksteeg. This narrow alley is hidden between the buildings and used to be called Waterpoortsteeg. Behind the alley there used to be an old water gate, a reminder of the time when the water and the harbor were much closer here.
But nowadays, the alley owes its fame mainly to a completely different story. According to the legend, a family drama took place here around 1750, which eventually gave the Spooksteeg its current name.
The legend of Dina and Helena
According to the story, a tanner named Gerards lived on Zeedijk with his two daughters Dina and Helena. The sisters were quite different, Bas recounts, but they had one thing in common: their taste in men.
There were many sailors on the Zeedijk at that time. The harbor was nearby and sailors came and went. One day the sisters met the sailor Wout. Both women fell in love with him, but Wout chose Dina.
Fighting broke out between the sisters. According to the legend, the fight escalated so much that Helena pushed her sister off the stairs. Dina initially survived the fall, after which Helena killed her anyway. To the outside world, it seemed as if Dina had died in an accident.
A confession and a curse
When Wout returned from the sea, he was told that Dina had died. Helena then sought to get closer to him, and eventually the two became a couple. But their relationship did not last long.
Helena became seriously ill. Just before her death, she decided to tell Wout what had really happened to her sister. She admitted that she was responsible for Dina’s death and asked him for forgiveness.
Wout reacted differently than Helena had hoped. According to the story, he became furious and cursed her. Her spirit would never be at peace and would have to remain in this place forever.
And with that, the legend of the ghost of the Zeedijk was born.
A story that continued to be heard at the Zeedijk
Whether Dina, Helena and Wout really existed as the story tells is another question. The story has been told for a long time as a legend and has become inextricably linked with this place.
According to the tradition, Helena also makes a noise every hundred years or so. Those who want to wait for that themselves have to be patient, according to Bas: in 2053 it should be that time again.
Bas Berkesteijn about the stories from the Nieuwmarkt neighborhood
In other episodes, city guide Bas Berkesteijn takes you to more places in the Nieuwmarkt neighborhood where special stories from the past are connected. Stories about the people who lived here, events that took place here, and legends that are sometimes still being told centuries later.
Because behind a alleyway that you might otherwise pass by thoughtlessly, a story hundreds of years old could be hiding.
Watch and listen to the full story of Bas about the Spooksteeg above.
Also, check out Bas’ story about the Amsterdam ghetto and follow us on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube for many more stories, facts and figures about the Nieuwmarkt neighborhood and its residents.
