Step 1 of 5

Johanna? In krebbe 1.2.

Related Images

  • Krebbe - [Science Museum](https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/images/6/541/large_A602003.jpg)
  • Binnengasthuis hospital, 1890 - [Archief Amsterdam](https://archief.amsterdam/beeldbank/detail/5ee1e27d-a118-191c-696d-3b2d79d213b8)
  • Wooden and cast iron beds, 1895 - [Archief Amsterdam](https://archief.amsterdam/beeldbank/detail/0aab8c2f-443e-06ed-5436-7947a192dc30)

As a patient of the Binnengasthuis you would be lying in one of their "krebben" (from krebbe meaning "bed"). Such a “krebbe” was usually made of cast iron. They were popular in Europe. Not only were they light and easy to move around, but they were also easier to keep clean (in contrast to wooden beds. In the second photo you can see both the wooden and cast iron type). The krebben were low to the ground which made it difficult for the elderly and patients with mobility difficulties. Lying down was often not an option as the beds were short, forcing many patients to sit up.

We visit the krebbe of Johanna van der Meiden (we already saw her in another story in which, although under completely different circumstances, she also found herself in a dire situation). Her krebbe (number 1.2) was in the Binnengasthuis, in one of the women's wards. The Binnengasthuis is a former hospital and was located in the center of Amsterdam. The building has a long history as a hospital and was already a place where the sick or less fortunate could be treated and cared for in the sixteenth century. This is where our Johanna ended up - we know this because of the pages in this register.