1960 The Instigators
At that time were two groups of youngsters riding small motorbikes, the “Dijkers” based on Haarlemmerdijk ,known by their greasy duck tails and bellyhugging Kreidlers, and the “Pleiners” on their Puch bikes.
At that time were two groups of youngsters riding small motorbikes, the “Dijkers” based on Haarlemmerdijk ,known by their greasy duck tails and bellyhugging Kreidlers, and the “Pleiners” on their Puch bikes.
Run by Koos de Zwart and Willem de Ridder. One could smoke there, but not buy any gear.
Run by Koos de Zwart and Willem de Ridder. One could smoke there, but not buy any gear.
Run by Matthijs van Heijningen and Simon Vinkenoog, a Dutch avant-garde poet, Smoking was allowed there.
An old milk factory was occupied by squatters under Koos Zwart and Willem de Ridder, who turned this into a foundation. From the first day there was a “house-dealer” at work, with (silent) approval of the Amsterdam police department and mayor Polak. Koos even managed to obtain 90% state funding and 10% local community funding for the Amsterdam Leisure-time Foundation. April 1968 even showed headlines in Dutch papers about the sales of cannabis at Paradiso.
An old milk factory was occupied by squatters under Koos Zwart and Willem de Ridder, who turned this into a foundation. From the first day there was a “house-dealer” at work, with (silent) approval of the Amsterdam police department and mayor Polak. Koos even managed to obtain 90% state funding and 10% local community funding for the Amsterdam Leisure-time Foundation. April 1968 even showed headlines in Dutch papers about the sales of cannabis at Paradiso.
set up by Koos the Zwart as a back-up (since Paradiso was illegally occupied) Also outfitted with a “house-dealer”. Fantasio was closed shortly afterwards by the city.
Due to the purpose of and publicity around Paradiso, Fantasio and Kosmos all banks quit their financial cooperation with these foundations. Meanwhile Koos gets airtime on VARA radio broadcasting channel, and provides the current prices for different dopes every Saturday at 2 PM to his listeners.
Maroc, red and yellow Lebanese, Afghani, Pakistani, India, Nepalese and the first Dutch nicotine cannabis at 50 cts a gram, that tasted like spinach.
Henk de Vries : “Koos Zwart obtained due to his expertise the management of the drug-item of the festival. Koos allowed me to sell at the bridge and announced such on the PA system at the festival. He also overruled the police-force present at the festival who wanted to take me down to their headquarters at first notion. And at the regular Saturday VARA broadcast he mentioned that I would be selling at the bridge during the festival.” “By sheer daring on my part and the support of Koos it became a huge success, and a turning point in my life.”
Henk de Vries : “Koos Zwart obtained due to his expertise the management of the drug-item of the festival. Koos allowed me to sell at the bridge and announced such on the PA system at the festival. He also overruled the police-force present at the festival who wanted to take me down to their headquarters at first notion. And at the regular Saturday VARA broadcast he mentioned that I would be selling at the bridge during the festival.” “By sheer daring on my part and the support of Koos it became a huge success, and a turning point in my life.”
Through Matthijs van Heijningen Koos obtained the key to the Melkweg Factory to use this as a youth center (this became the Melkweg foundation). The first dealer here was “Maarten” (later based in the Rusland coffee-shop) and following him, Nol. As a sort of “camouflage” the selling was done from a tea-house annex nut bar inside.
A common misconception is that the “Mellow Yellow” was the first coffee-shop in Amsterdam, this is due to the fact that weed was sold illegally (under the table) there and just as the other two started in 1974 to sell from a commercial location.
But Werner started out as a neighbourhood local meeting place at the “Pijp” district of Amsterdam, applying for a grant and when this was turned down, he started his tea-house at 1974 , the “Mellow Yellow”.
A common misconception is that the “Mellow Yellow” was the first coffee-shop in Amsterdam, this is due to the fact that weed was sold illegally (under the table) there and just as the other two started in 1974 to sell from a commercial location.
But Werner started out as a neighbourhood local meeting place at the “Pijp” district of Amsterdam, applying for a grant and when this was turned down, he started his tea-house at 1974 , the “Mellow Yellow”.
The Bulldog opens at a cellar of a former sex-shop at Oudezijdsvoorburgwal.
Rusland opened its doors at the summer, run by Maarten (first dealer at Melkweg). Maarten had already at an earlier stage taken a peek at Henk de Vries ‘ Bulldog to see how he openly sold cannabis, and also bought hash from Henk, as he only sold grass himself.
Later on, in 1975, Maarten also used the title “coffee-shop”. Rusland then was the second place using the “coffee-shop” brand name.
Rusland opened its doors at the summer, run by Maarten (first dealer at Melkweg). Maarten had already at an earlier stage taken a peek at Henk de Vries ‘ Bulldog to see how he openly sold cannabis, and also bought hash from Henk, as he only sold grass himself.
Later on, in 1975, Maarten also used the title “coffee-shop”. Rusland then was the second place using the “coffee-shop” brand name.
Tea-house Mellow Yellow was selling 71 different brands of tea and was also specialized in Dutch grass and young plants. Sales were not really openly, only later (around 1977) when they started selling their products to the large flocks of tourists visiting the Heineken Brewery they gained a reputation as tea-house ( and grass seller).
The Mellow Yellow was a daily run business, open from 9 to 5, closed on weekends and holidays.
Koos Zwart wrote the lyrics for the song “Nederwiet” a huge hit for the Dutch band “Doe Maar”.
Koos Zwart wrote the lyrics for the song “Nederwiet” a huge hit for the Dutch band “Doe Maar”.
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