[English version below]

Hè wat mut dat hyr!? Dit is privéterrein. Geen pottekikers hyr in ut hofke! Is ut soms al nyt erg genoeg dat ik hyr woane mut op kosten fan de lyfdadughyd? Mut ik nou ok nòg un toeristise atraksy weze?

Myn naam is hyr in ‘e stad al genoeg over de tong gaan. Earst toen myn man dronken fan ‘e ladder donderde… en later nòg us toen ik stiif fan ‘e rimmetyk nyt mear werke kon en ôfhankeluk wurde fan de armekas. Ja, ju hadden se us hoare mutten [Roddeluge op sensasy beluste toan] oh, oh dy arme Aaltsy! … Hè jim ut al hoard? … Dar arme meens!… Se kin de huer fan hur kleine húske ok al nyt mear betale!” Ja, … su ging dat! En dan mutte je nyt dinke dat der ok maar een weest het dy naar je toe komt om wat te helpen.!

Nee, dan mutte je earst ankloppe en op ‘e knibbels foar de diakenen fan ‘e kerk. En dy gaan dan earst fragen of je echt geen geld mear hewwe en of je geen kynders of family hewwe dy foar je sorge kinne… Se hè selfs met myn bueren praat of ik wel netsys genoeg bin. En se hè myn hús inspekteard om te siën of ik nyt ergens geld ferstopt had. Ja,… suks raakt je behoarluk

Maar goëd… toen dat eindeluk klaar was, mocht ik dan toch hyr in de armekamers fan de diakonie woane. Maar nou wil ik ferder nooit mear last hewwe fan nieuwskieruge aagjes!! Alleen, foardat jim deurlope; kyk earst nòg even naar dy ouwe stien dêr. Dy dêr met dy tekst derop. Dêr suden jim un foarbeeld an nimme kinne. [Is oproep an rike lui om na hun doad geld na te laten an de armen]

Aaltje Bartels – Inhabitant of the Armenkamers between Heerengracht and Zuiderkade (1865) – No nosey eyes!

Hey! What´s your business here? This is private property! No prying eyes in this court! As if it’s not bad enough that I have to live here on the charity of others! Now I don’t want to become a landmark for tourists!

My name has been mentioned in this town more than enough.
– First, when my husband drunkenly dropped from that ladder.
– And later again, when because of rheumatism I myself couldn’t work any more, and became dependent of the poverty relief!

Oh yes, you should have heard them! (Gossipy, sensationalising tone) “Oh, oh, that poor Altsje… Haven’t you heard? … The poor thing! … Now she cannot pay the rent of that little house of her any more!” Yes, that’s how it went! And don’t think that there was anybody at all that came to help me!

Oh no, first you have to knock on the door of the masters, the deacons of the church. They will ask you if you really don’t have any money left! And why your children can’t take care of you.
They even went to talk to the neighbours, to check if I was a decent woman! And to find out if there was any money hidden somewhere.

Yes… That makes one humble enough…

Anyway.
When all that was done, they allowed me to come and live in the poor men’s quarters, here in the deaconry. And now this has been the last time that I had to endure nosey eyes! But before you walk away: have a look first at that old stone over there! Those words! As far as I’m concerned you might take an example from that.

(is an appeal to wealthy people to leave money to the poor in their testament)