Grote Markt (Antwerp)
| Market square De Grote Markt |
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|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} |
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.jpg) Partial view of the Great Market (west and south) |
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| Basic data | |
| place | Antwerp |
| District | center |
| Created | 13th Century |
| Newly designed | 20th century (extensive renovation of the existing buildings) |
| Confluent streets |
Wisselstraat, Schoenmakersstraat, Kaasrui, Torfbrug, Maalderijstraat and Hoogstraat ( clockwise once ) |
| Buildings | Municipal buildings and town houses |
| use | |
| User groups | Pedestrians , cyclists , Segways and other electric vehicles including delivery vans |
| Technical specifications | |
| Square area | 5000 m² |
Coordinates: 51 ° 13 ′ 16 ″ N , 4 ° 23 ′ 59 ″ E
The Grote Markt of Antwerp is a central place in the historic city of Antwerp. In connection with the development of the city into an important trading center in the Middle Ages, many wealthy merchants and guilds built magnificent buildings around the square. They are preserved and beautifully restored.
Position and extent
The square is outside the medieval residential core. It forms a multi-angled polygon and takes up an area of around 5000 m². The Grote Markt reaches its greater extent on the west side in a north-south direction with around 82 meters along the town hall facade.
The following streets lead onto the square: in the northwest the Wisselstraat, in the northeast the Schoenmakersstraat, in the east the Kaasrui, in the south the Torfbrug and the Maalderijstraat and in the southwest the Hoogstraat.
The port area is west of the square and is around 250 m away.
history
Duke Heinrich I von Brabant donated the area that would later become the market square to the city in 1220 for communal use. The citizens built the municipal administration and guild houses around a free marketplace.
The name Merckt first appeared on a city map in 1310 . This is where the annual markets ( forums van Brabant ) took place. Above all, merchants from home and abroad (such as English, Italian, North German Hanseatic) met at the Merckt for extensive business. This quickly brought the city to riches and led to Antwerp becoming the most important trading center in the old Netherlands at the end of the 15th century .
Buildings (selection)
town hall
The first town hall was built from 1561 to 1565 according to plans and under the direction of the architect Cornelis Floris De Vriendt and with the participation of the sculptor Willem van de Broeck, the poet Willem van Haecht and the painters Jan Metsys and Lambert van Noort. Spanish troops who were on conquering campaigns in Belgium sacked the city of Antwerp in 1576, in particular they burned down the town hall. The heavy damage was repaired in 1578–1580 and the office building was rebuilt according to the previous plans in the Renaissance style with some Gothic elements.
After almost 200 years, however, the building had to be completely renewed in the middle of the 19th century, above all it received a new facade in the then modern Mannerist style from 1853 to 1869 . Only a few earlier components in the inner arches have been preserved in traces. During the same period, the interior of the town hall was completely renovated. Another renovation took place in 1882-1891.
The town hall dominates the entire west side of the square and is around 80 meters long.
Ornamental fountain
In the middle of the square is a fountain , crowned by a bronze figure. The figure represents the folk hero Silvius Brabo . The fountain is named after him as the Brabo fountain, in Flemish Brabofontein .
According to legend, Brabo defeated a giant in battle who previously demanded customs duties from merchants who came to Antwerp by water. If they didn't want to or couldn't pay, he is said to have cut off their hand. That is why Brabo is depicted in the victory pose by the sculptor Jef Lambeaux , who in turn has chopped off the giant's hand and symbolically throws it into the river. The fountain was inaugurated in 1887; previously there was a freedom tree at this point .
Other facilities
- Sint-Joris Gildehuis , Grote Markt 7
- Valk , Grote Markt 11
- Tourist office
- There are numerous restaurants, cafés, ice cream bars, souvenir shops and fashion salons in the buildings around the square. Hotels also offer accommodation to tourists here.
Guild houses
Gable decorations on St. Joris House
Tourist bus in the square
Use of the Grote Markt
The Christmas market takes place regularly in December on the square. In addition, an ice rink will be created for everyone. There are also concerts or other major events.
A flower festival is arranged annually on the square (see picture).
The Tour of Flanders started here in 2017 .
The Grote Markt is also the start and end point for tourist exploration with an E - tuktuk .
In the neighborhood
- Not far from the Great Square rises the Cathedral of Our Lady ( Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal ).
- The Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk is about 500 m from Grote Platz on Hendrik Conscienceplein 11. This church was built in 1626 as a Jesuit church.
- The river Scheldt , on which most of the merchandise was transported, does not run far from this place. The port is still used in the 21st century, especially for freight traffic. River cruise ships also moor here.
- About 200 m from the Grote Markt, at Ernest van Dijckkaai 7, there is the De Reede Museum of Graphic Arts with works by Francisco de Goya , Edvard Munch and Félicien Rops .
- Also nearby, at Mechelsesteenweg 291, is the De Koninck Antwerp City Brewery , which can be visited. It is the last remaining brewery in town .
- Not to be forgotten is the Plantin-Moretus-Museum (Vrijdagmarkt 22), only a five-minute walk from the Great Market. It is located in the rooms of a historic printing house from the 16th century and was recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2005.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The area of the square was roughly calculated after measuring it with the Google Earth tool .
- ↑ Grote Markt on www.visitantwerpen.de; accessed on April 24, 2020.
- ↑ History and construction details of Antwerp City Hall at www.belgium.com , accessed on April 23, 2020.
- ↑ Tuktuk Antwerp on www.tripadvisor.de, accessed on April 24, 2020.
- ↑ Homepage Museum De Reede , accessed on April 24, 2020.
- ↑ Homepage De Koninck Antwerp City Brewery , accessed on April 24, 2020.