Van der Pigge smokeshop closed after 210 years

HAARLEM – The oldest tobacco shop in Europe is closing its doors. The current proprietors of De Gekroonde Moor, founded by Jan van der Pigge in the year 1800 when Napoleon's will was law, were unable to complete their sale the sale of their business when the buyer, another Van der Pigge descendent, could not obtain financing. The shop only sold cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco. To keep their business traditional, the proprietors stayed away from getting into lottery tickets and magazines. Among others, they blamed smaller profit margins and the current anti-smoking climate as reasons for their shop's demise. The building of the smokeshop, which served customers beyond Dutch borders, has been sold. Some of the shop's artifacts are destined for the Historeische Museum in Haarlem.