Elfde Gebod

Dutch for "Eleventh Commandment" which is Thou shalt drink beer and be happy!

The History of the Elfde Gebod goes back to 1425, when turf bearers lived in our very building. It connected the first City centre to the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Cathedral of Our Lady), which was outside the city walls at that point.

Engravings dating back to 1576 show how the top floors of our building on Torfbrug 10 were ideal locations to defend the City of Antwerp against the Spanish riffraff.

Even though the history of the Elfde Gebod has known a lot of warfare, it knew peace and harmony too. When the house was property of the church, it was know as ‘Het Paradijs’ (The paradise).

The Elfde Gebod has something nostalgic, the spirit of the past is tangibly present and will not leave you untouched as it is as much a part of Antwerp as the name of Antwerp itself.Read more