Two homes constructed on the Nassaukade in 1886 marked the professional debut of Evert Breman. This Dutch architect, who operated primarily within the Renaissance Revival style, built a career centered in Amsterdam after leaving his birthplace of Zwolle in 1881 to pursue technical studies alongside employment in the butchery trade.
Early Development and Education
Born in 1859 to Willem Fredrik Breman and Everarda Elsebé née Meuleman, Evert Breman grew up around his father's carpentry and blacksmithing workshop. This early exposure to building trades provided a practical foundation for his later architectural practice. While his brother Jacobus moved to Brussels to follow artistic pursuits, Evert settled in Amsterdam. He balanced evening architecture studies with labor, eventually transitioning into his primary profession in the mid-1880s.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Professional Expansion
Breman secured his first major commission in 1888, designing an office structure for the insurance firm De Nederlanden van 1845. His standing in the professional community grew significantly over the next decade. By 1895, he served as the principal architect for the World Exhibition for the Hotel and Travel Industry located at the Museumplein. His contribution to this event featured the construction of a miniature village titled Old Holland, which utilized historical 16th and 17th-century architectural facades. This project earned him an appointment as a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Major Commissions and Final Years
Between 1917 and 1922, Breman executed his most substantial works for the shipping company Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd. These projects included the design of the corporate headquarters and the Lloyd Hotel. Following this period of intense activity, he transitioned toward the real estate sector in 1923, serving as a supervisory Director for the North Holland Mortgage Bank. Breman passed away in 1926 at the age of sixty-seven and is buried at the New Eastern Cemetery in Amsterdam.
Personal Life
In 1887, Breman married Martha Maria Neumeijer, the daughter of an amateur architect and real estate professional, Leendert Johannes Neumeijer Sr. The couple had two sons: Willem Frederik Breman, who became a musicologist, and Leendert Johannes Breman, who pursued a career as a diplomat. Historical accounts from his descendants characterize him as a father figure of a particularly demanding and tyrannical nature.
Fast facts
- Born: 28 April 1859, Zwolle
- Died: 24 October 1926, Amsterdam
- Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Primary style: Renaissance Revival
- Spouse: Martha Maria Neumeijer
- Notable projects: Lloyd Hotel, De Nederlanden van 1845 offices
- Honor: Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Final occupation: Supervisory Director, North Holland Mortgage Bank
Questions readers ask
What was Breman's first architectural project?
He designed two homes on the Nassaukade in 1886.
Did Breman receive any formal recognition for his exhibition work?
Yes, he was named a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau for his work on the 1895 World Exhibition for the Hotel and Travel Industry.
