Entertainment in café Eldorado

German soldiers stayed in the city for four years. Needless to say, they wanted to relax after spending a period of time at the front or after work. Café Eldorado (now café Het Volkshuis), on the corner of Braambergstraat and Vismarkt, was the favourite dance hall of the German military.

To keep the alcohol consumption of the soldiers in check, the German Government imposed strict rules. For example, it was forbidden to sell soldiers alcohol before 11.30 a.m. and they had mandatory closing times. Some Bruges residents tried to muscle in on the action and opened a café, coffee shop or even a ballroom in their living rooms.

The Liber Memorialis or parish book of different Bruges parishes denounced the moral decay. In response to this, controlled entertainment houses, including Kriegersheim in Beenhouwersstraat or the Seemanshaus in Saaihalle opened their doors.

Vl. Toeristisch bezienswaardigheden