Looking back on 140 years
Current and former colleagues came together for the anniversary celebration at the Netherlands Open Air Museum, which Dirkzwager has partnered with since 2025. Around 200 former colleagues were among the guests. The firm's history was the focus of the celebration. During a special walk through the museum with historical videos about Dirkzwager looked back on how the firm was founded and how it developed. Cultural partners Introdans and Orkest Phion, with whom Dirkzwager has worked for many years, also added to the celebration with performances.
From Nijmegen to Arnhem
Dirkzwager's history began in 1886, when a young student, Aert van der Goes, was granted permission by Royal Decree of King William III to open a law firm in Nijmegen. Two decades later, in 1907, Josef van Schaik established himself in Arnhem as a procureur and lawyer. In 1947, Dirk Primes Dirkzwager joined the firm and would later give his name to the Dirkzwager of today.
In 1971, the separate Arnhem and Nijmegen firms joined forces as Dirkzwager & Kroeskamp advocaten. It was the first time in the Netherlands that two law firms from different municipalities had merged, creating what was, for its time, a large firm of 13 lawyers.
Lawyers, civil-law notaries and tax advisers under one roof
In 1989, the firm merged with the civil-law notaries Sasse, Venemans and Ribbers. In 2000, the notarial practice expanded further with the addition of Van Overbeek & Veerbeek and De Vijf Zuylen. When eighteen tax advisers joined in 2018, the firm took on its current name: Dirkzwager legal & tax. Today, it employs more than 300 people, including lawyers, civil-law notaries and tax advisers.
Looking ahead
Today, Dirkzwager works closely on the major societal challenges of our time, such as the energy transition, future-proof healthcare, the challenges in housing construction and staying resilient as a organisation in a changing market.
Dirkzwager would like to thank all current and former colleagues, clients and partners for the trust they have placed in the firm over the past 140 years.
