Few Dutch could enjoy the sheer joy of a hot shower after a long day at work until the 19th century. Private bathhouses were only used by the elite. Around 1900, most Amsterdammers took their weekly wash in their kitchens, since bathrooms did not exist yet. In line with the call for better living conditions and in order to improve public health, the workers were allowed to bathe in public baths. Starting from 1911, the Amsterdam municipality actively engaged in intense propaganda for more hygiene and so called 'water civilization' for all residents of its city. Public baths were built in each workers’ neighborhood. The bathhouse was a welcome addition to the Diamond area, which had expanded between 1920 and 1930 with a considerable number of homes. Most people took their weekly bath on Saturdays, taking a bath or shower more often was still too expensive in those days. In the Building Regulations of 1933, the construction of a bath cell was made mandatory for new construction, but in 1951 only a quarter of the Amsterdam dwellings had a bathroom. In the 1980s, when all the houses in the Diamond neighborhood finally got a shower, the bathhouse was closed down.