In 1970, looking for a location to stage a play, a theatre company discovered a derelict milk factory on Lijnbaansgracht. The company was short of money, but the members' idealistic enthusiasm was boundless. They worked hard and in a short time, they had turned the old factory into a meeting place ready to host the play they wanted to stage. Alluding to the original purpose of the building and referring at the same time to the prevailing cosmic spirit, they called it De Melkweg (The Milky Way). In 1972, after a second summer with a broad theatrical program, the company's temporary initiative became a permanent cultural center.