Canals in Amsterdam
The canals in Amsterdam ( Netherlands ) shape the historical aspect of the city. The most famous canals are Prinsengracht , Keizersgracht , Herengracht and Singel . Together, these four canals are around ten kilometers long, have an average depth of 2.40 meters and are 27 meters wide. The total length of the navigable canals is more than 80 kilometers.
history
Amsterdam has an estimated 200 canals (Vaarten, Grachten), ramparts (Wallen), quays (Kaden), moats (Sloten), city moats (Singels), sluices (Sluizen), dams (Waterkeringen), ponds (Vijvers) and moats (Weteringen) . In 1612 the construction of the well-known canal cord began. Originally the canal belt was intended for the wealthy residents of the city, with large gardens behind the houses. Between 1857 and 1895 16 canals were drained; on the one hand for hygienic reasons and on the other hand to offer more space for public transport. The water in the canals was clean when it was founded and "good enough to brew beer with" (Humphrey Agyekum, Amsterdamse Grachten ). Later, numerous canals were used as waste and excrement depot and the smell was probably almost unbearable in the summer months. At the end of the 17th century, the situation changed when locks were built. In 1890 the Rozengracht and the Warmoesgracht were expanded as roads. The Vijzelgracht , Overtoomsche vaart and the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal were added later. After the expansion of the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal canal, a large part of the population protested. Where churches, small green spaces and monuments used to stand, the canal had become a busy street. The protests were successful. No roads were built out of the Reguliersgracht and Spiegelgracht . Many of the earlier canals have retained their additional name, Gracht .
The canals are spanned by around 1,400 numbered bridges. Bridge no. 1 leads over the Singel ; Bridge 100 is on the Looiersgracht and in 1974 the bridge over the Postjeskade at Rembrandtspark with the number 1000 was built. The canals, which in the 17th century played an important role as transport routes and a line of defense against enemy attackers, are today not only a tourist attraction for which Amsterdam is known, but also important for the traffic of ships and tour boats.
Amsterdam canals
Achtergracht
The Achtergracht was created around 1660 and originally connected the Reguliersgracht with the Amstel . In 1870 most of the canal was drained. As the Amsterdam canal belt expanded , this canal was extended with the Nieuwe Achtergracht . The canal lies between the Frederiksplein and the Amstel, parallel to the Prinsengracht in the city center. House numbers 2 to 26 are exemplary examples of earlier warehouses ( Pakhuizen ) with their conspicuously slender gables ( Tuitgevels ) pointing upwards .
Admiralengracht
The Admiralengracht, formerly called Molensloot , was laid out in Amsterdam West in the 1920s and is now in the De Baarsjes district . The name was created in 1924 and the canal borders the Admiralenbuurt residential area . The Admiralengracht runs in the direction of the Kostverlorenvaart north to the Erasmusgracht and on to the Westelijke Tuinsteden in Osdorp to the Sloterplas. At the end of the canal is the Erasmuspark in the district of Bos en Lommer .
Amstel Canal
The Amstel Canal was designed by the architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856–1934) and realized as part of Plan Zuid of the Amsterdam Zuidoost district . Streets next to the Amstel Canal are the Josef Israelskade and the Amstelkade . Five bridges cross the Amstel Canal: at the van Woustraat - Rijnstraat ; a footbridge at the Pieter Lodewijk Takstraat ; tweede van der Helststraat - Maasstraat and Ferdinand Bolstraat - Scheldestraat .
Anjeliersgracht
Blue castle whale
The shortest canal in the city center is the Blauburgwal which belongs to the canal belt in the west of the city . It lies between the Singel and the Herengracht. Before 1612 the canal was called Lijnbaansgracht , but it was later renamed Blauburgwal after the Blauwe Brug (Blue Bridge) when the new Lijnbaansgracht was expanded .
Bloemgracht
In the Lonely Planet travel guide , the Bloemgracht is mentioned as one of the most impressive canals in Amsterdam. It is a short canal in the city center, between the Prinsengracht and the Lijnbaansgracht. Built in the 17th century, the canal houses are a popular tourist destination due to their special construction.
Brouwersgracht
The Brouwersgracht connects the Singel and Singelgracht. The canal also belongs to the canal belt and marks the northern border of the Jordaan district .
The last grain brandy distillery called De Ooievaar was located on Brouwersgracht in 1782. The name Brouwersgracht (as much as: Gracht der Brauereien ) was introduced in 1894 because of the numerous breweries that were located in the area at the time.
Burgemeester Cramergracht
In the 1950s this canal was created as part of the Westelijke Tuinsteden (Western Garden Cities ) and was located in the Slotermeer district in what is now the Amsterdam Nieuw-West district . It connects the Burgemeester van Tienhovengracht with the Sloterplas . Willem Daniël Cramer (1788–1865) was Mayor of Amsterdam from 1836 to 1841 . The canal was named after him in 1952.
Burgemeester van Tienhovengracht
The canal was formerly in the Amsterdam West district and since 1990 has also been in Geuzenveld – Slotermeer. In 1952 the canal was named after the former mayor of Amsterdam, Gijsbert van Tienhoven (1841–1914). It is an extension of the Erasmusgracht and ends at Plein 40–45 . The Gerbrandypark lies parallel to the canal . Two bridges cross it, in the Burgemeester Fockstraat and the Burgemeester Eliasstraat .
Egelantiersgracht
The Egelantiersgracht is located in the Jordaan district and was named after the flower Egelantier . It lies between the Prinsengracht and the Lijnbaansgracht. The canal was dug in 1612 from the Brouwersgracht in a southerly direction. The buildings on the canal are noticeable, as there are still (as of 2012) some from the 17th century and also from the 1980s. Egelantiersgracht No. 8 was built in 1649 and is a typical example of the Amsterdam Renaissance era.
Elandsgracht
The former canal is now a street and was dug in 1612 from the Brouwersgracht to the south. The street lies between the Prinsengracht and the Lijnbaansgracht in the Jordaan district. In 1905 the first tram (No. 7) came in the Marnixstraat which crosses the Elandsgracht and in 1974 the Witkar (white car) from the inventor Luud Schimmelpennink for a short time . The Elandsgracht should not be confused with the Elandsstraat which is parallel to the Elandsgracht. In addition to many residential buildings, there are cafes, restaurants and grocery stores. On the side of the Prinsengracht is the Johnny Jordaan – Plein with statues of folk and town musicians Johnny Jordaan , Aunt Leen , Manke Nelis and Johnny Meijer . Opposite is the Woonboot Museum .
Entrepotdok
The Entrepotdok customs depot was established in 1829 and comprised 84 large warehouses named after Dutch and Belgian cities. In 1829 the canal was named Nieuwe Rapenburgergracht . After the customs depot moved later, the buildings stood empty for a long time. A few companies were still located on the lower floors, but the warehouses were in poor condition. In the vicinity, Kattenburg and Wittenburg , many houses were demolished. The Entrepotdok was placed under monument protection ( Rijksmonument ) and none of the old warehouses could be demolished. After years of discussions and negotiations about the financing, the renovation began in the early 1980s. Companies are established on the lower floors and the upper floors have been converted into apartments. In 1984 the first apartments were available in numbers 79 to 84. Around 600 apartments were built in the following ten years and the Entrepotdok is the largest converted warehouse complex in Amsterdam.
Erasmusgracht
In 1939 the Erasmusgracht, named after the Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1467–1536), was laid out and is now part of the Bos en Lommer district . The Erasmuspark lies parallel to the canal ; it represents a connection between the Westelijke Tuinsteden and the Sloterplas .
Geldersekade
Originally, the Geldersekade was a defensive line that, together with the Kloveniersburgwal and the Singel, formed a city canal. It is one of the oldest canals and was created at the end of the 15th century. After new city walls had been built, the Kade had served its actual purpose as a fortress moat. There were built houses and between the Geldersekade and the Oudeschans was the place Lastage , which is a residential area today and known as Nieuwmarktviertel . The Geldersekade is the eastern part of Amsterdam's Chinatown district .
Gouden Bocht
The Golden Bay (also: Golden Bend) is probably the most impressive part of the Herengracht. The Herengracht was extended in 1663 to the Leidsegracht and got a bend at the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat . Since the three channels were far apart, the kavels were laid out deeper. Wealthy citizens had their noble houses built here with classicist gables, balconies, marble-paved corridors, gardens in the Baroque style and gazebos. In the Gouden Bocht is the Huis van Neufville from 1731 in the Herengracht No. 475, also known as the Huis aan den Bocht (House on the Bend). On the corner of Nieuwe Spiegelstraat , Herengracht No. 466, the office of the Dutch trading company was from 1858 to 1926 . Today, numerous banks and insurance companies have settled on the "Golden Bend". The Goethe-Institut and the Prins Bernhardfonds are also located there. A single house is currently (2009) occupied by private tenants.
Canal cord
Grimburg whale
Created in the 14th century, de Wall was a side canal of the Amstel . Grim , which means muddy moat, was initially a moat that was integrated in the expansion of the city in 1434. The canals Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Oudezijds Achterburgwal end at the Grimburgwal. In 1546 the Grimnessesluis was built to close off the Amstel canal. The lock, still drawn by Rembrandt , was removed again in 1868 because a bridge had been built over the Grimburg Whale in 1861.
The canal is one of the city's small canals and streets. There are restaurants, galleries, shops and much of the University of Amsterdam there . A striking building from 1610 with the name Huis aan de drie Grachten (House on the Three Canals) can still be visited. During the Second World War , the semi-detached house was used by the bookseller August Aime Balkema to distribute illegal literature.
Groenburgwal
In the second half of the 16th century, the canal lay outside the city's moat. It was not until 1593 that the wall came to the city of Amsterdam. The canal lies parallel between the Kloveniers - and the Zwanenburgwal .
Herengracht
Keizersgracht
Kloveniersburgwal
Lijnbaansgracht
In 1875 the canal got its name after the Touwslagerijen who had their businesses on the canals. In the 19th century, parts of the canal were drained, the Kleine Gartmanplantsoen was built at Leidseplein and the Raamplein at Passeerdersgracht . In the east of the Reguliersgracht , parts of the Lijnbaansgracht were also developed as roads, the Maarten Jasz. Klosterstraat and the Valckeniersstraat . In the 18th century there was a Suikerraffinaderij on Lijnbaansgracht No. 234 , which was closed in 1920. The Melkweg multimedia center has been located there since 1970 and the Stadsschouwburg opposite in the Lijnbaansgracht .
Martelaarsgracht
The canal was expanded in 1884 and is now a wide, busy street with many hotels, internet cafes, shops and snack bars. In 1928 many of the old houses were placed under monument protection. In the 1980s and 1990s, some of these houses fell victim to speculators and were occupied . The canal connects the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal with the central station ( Centraal Station ) ("CS"). The origin of the striking name Martelaar is disputed. The former area is said to have been used as a stand for gallows ; the municipal archive of Amsterdam, on the other hand, speaks of a house with a picture of a martyr. On May 4, 1945, the last resistance fighter against the National Socialists was shot in the street .
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal
Originally the NZ Voorburgwal Canal was a moat in the city center. Amsterdam was divided into two almost equal halves by the Amstel in 1385, the older city side with the Oude Kerk (Old Church) and the newer parts of the city with the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church). In 1385 new moats were dug and the existing moats were named Voorburgwal and the new canals Achterburgwal . The Persmuseum (press museum) was located here until 1914 . Today (as of early 2013) trams No. 1, 2, 5, 13 and 17 run through NZ Voorburgwal.
Van Noordtgracht
The Van Noordtgracht is located in the Westerpark district and was named after the Dutch explorer Olivier van Noort (1558–1627) on November 20, 1878 . On the initiative of Ad van Deventer, a water sports center was created where children can canoe and learn to sail in the canal. The canal forms the extension of the Zoutkeetsgracht and connects the Westerkanaal with the Le Mairegracht .
Onbekendegracht
The "Unknown Gracht" ( Onbekendegracht ) is a short canal that connects the Nieuwe Prinsengracht with the Nieuwe Achtergracht and is located directly behind the Carré Theater . A cast iron bridge (No. 252) built in 1899, which connects the Nieuwe Achtergracht with the Onbekendengracht, is a listed building. In 1871 the impressionist Claude Monet painted a picture entitled Le Moulin de l'Onbekende Gracht, Amsterdam . On it was the Rooseboom windmill , also called Binnen Tuchthuismolen , which stood between the Amstel and the Onbekendegracht in the 17th century .
Oudeschans
The Oudeschans, also written Oude Schans , first had the name Nieuwe Gracht (New Canal). Gelderse attackers raided the Lastage district in 1512 , and between 1515 and 1518 a side canal was dug near the Amstel up to the Nieuwe Gracht as the outermost line of defense on the eastern side of the city. A new rampart was built with the excavated earth, which then became the Oudeschans. The Amsterdam Gay Pride , a Canal Parade that takes place annually, often leads through the Oudeschans, among other things. The Montelbaanstoren located there was a defense and defense tower, the origin of which is unknown. Today the tower is used for a maintenance facility to regulate the water level . The building was built in 1516 during the chaos of war. 90 years after it was built, the tower was given its spire under Hendrick de Keyser .
Oudezijds Achterburgwal
The OZ Achterburgwal is both a street and a canal in the city center, in the Burgwallen Oude Zijde residential area . The northern part is on the Nieuwmarkt and in the red light district , called De Wallen . In the southern part are the buildings of the University of Amsterdam , the Binnengasthuis and the Oudemanhuispoort . The bridge over the OZ Achterburgwal between Oude Doelenstraat and Oude Hoogstraat is a clear dividing line between the lively red light district and the quieter southern part. The community had the Achterburgwal OZ renovated in 2006 and bought some of the brothels to use them for other purposes. Prostitution in the neighborhood is to be severely restricted. In the street is the Erotic Museum and the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum .
Oudezijds Voorburgwal
The OZ Voorburgwal is a street and canal in the red light district De Wallen . The canal runs from the Grimburgwal to the Zeedijk and ends at Oudezijds Kolk . It is one of the most famous channels and full of contrasts. Sex shops , brothels, coffee shops , bars, as well as listed canal houses, several monasteries, privately rented apartments and the Oude Kerk , Amsterdam's oldest church, characterize the canal.
Muidergracht plantation
This canal, which was previously called the Muidergracht , is located in the Plantagebuurt district . Part of the Muidergracht was drained for the Jonas Daniel Meijerplein and the Hortusplantsoen . The Muidergracht plantation borders the Artis zoological garden . The bridge with the no. 259 over the canal to the Kerklaan plantation was named after the resistance fighter Laura Carola Mazirel (1907–1974).
Postjeswetering
In the 1920s, the Postjeswetering Canal was built in the western area of Amsterdam and has been in the De Baarsjes district since 1990 . The name “Postjes” comes from the freshwater fish ruff that used to live in the moat. The Postjesweg and the Postjeskade are also named after this species of fish . The canal flows from the Admiralengracht to the west and provides a connection to the Westlandgracht and further to the Westelijke Tuinsteden and Slotervaart . At the end of the Postjeswetering is the Rembrandtpark, at the Cornelis Lelylaan the canal flows into the Westlandgracht.
Prinsengracht
Right boomssloot
The straight Boomsgraben ( Sloot means something like "ditch", also "street ditch") is a canal in the former Lastage , today's name Nieuwmarktbuurt . The canal is around 500 years old and got its name from the mayor at the time, Cornelis Pietersz Boom , who had the “moat” expanded into a canal. The "Sloot" runs from the Geldersekade in a south-easterly direction to the Oudeschans Canal. The right boomsloot is spanned by four bridges, one of which is only for pedestrians. Under monument protection ( Rijksmonument ) are among other things De Rode Leeuw (1726), the buildings Recht Boomssloot (18th century) and De Mouterij (19th century).
Rozengracht
The Rozengracht got its name after the flower rose and is located in the Jordaan district between the Prinsengracht and the Nassaukade . In the 17th century, the canal was one of eleven canals that were built in the Jordaan. Around 1895 it was laid out as a road. A year later, the first horse-drawn “tram” ran between Dam Square and the Bilderdijkstraat. In 1902 the first electric tram (Tram No. 3) came and two years later the extension Raadhuisstraat - Rozengracht - De Clercstraat . The well-known painter Rembrandt van Rijn sold his apartment in 1655 in what was then Breestraat, today's name Jodenbreestraat, and moved into a rented apartment at Rozengracht No. 184, where he lived until his death in 1669.
Singelgracht
The Singelgracht runs along the Nassaukade, the Stadhouderskade, the Mauritskade and surrounds the center of Amsterdam . During the fourth expansion of the canal belt around 1660, the Singelgracht, together with the city wall, became the city limits. The Singelgracht is often confused with the Singel . The name is similar, but in contrast to the Singel at the Singelgracht, the Kades (quays) do not have the same name (Singelgracht), but are called Nassaukade (west), Stadhouderskade (south) and Mauritskade (east) on the outward side and Marnixkade, Leidsekade, Nicolaas Witsenkade, Sarphatikade, Huddekade, Spinozastraat and Alexanderkade on the side facing the center.
Spiegelgracht
The Spiegelgracht connects the Prinsengracht with the Lijnbaansgracht and Ziezeniskade in the city center . Many small, narrow canal houses characterize the canal, which was built after 1658. This canal was also to be built as a street, violent public protest prevented this. The canal is to come under monument protection by UNESCO .
Vijzelgracht
When the city was expanded around 1658, the Vijzelgracht was created; it was drained in 1933 and is now a much-used street. The street has 47 listed canal houses ( Rijksmonument ) (2009) and lies between the Prinsengracht and Weteringschans . Work has been going on since 2003 on the subway, called Noord / Zuidlijn , which was supposed to connect the north with the south of the city. The excavations created major problems for the residents and the canal houses. In 2004 a subsidence of 2.5 centimeters was found in seven houses and in June 2008 of 15 centimeters in four listed canal houses. The work was stopped for a short time and resumed in September 2008. A few days later the ground subsided again. In 2009 the metro was again worked on. In 2018 the “Noord / Zuidlijn” was put into operation.
Zieseniskade
This kade ( quay ) was named after the sculptor Anthony Ziesenis and is located in the city center. In 1885 the Barlaeus Gymnasium was built on the Weteringschans and the Zieseniskade. The Kade runs parallel to the Weteringschans and the Singelgracht . Nearby is the Paradiso concert building for rock and pop music . The many small, narrow canal houses are characteristic of this area.
literature
- Stichting Atelier voor Restauratie en Research van Schilderijen (ITAAR / ARRS): De Gouden Bocht van Amsterdam . Amsterdam 2006, ISBN 90-810694-1-1
- Bakker, J. Kloters, Vincent van Rossem, W. Vroom et al. (Eds.): Amsterdam in de Tweede Gouden Eeuw . Uitgeverij Thot, Bussum 2000.
- Geert Mak: A little divorced from Amsterdam . Uitgeverij Olympus, Amsterdam 1999, ISBN 90-254-9972-4
Web links
- Studio Koning . Photos over canals in Amsterdam
- 50 photos about the history of Amsterdam from 1200 to 2004
- Panorama of the canals of Amsterdam
- Video recording of the Van Noordtkade - Van Noordtgracht
Individual evidence
- ^ History of Amsterdam . Dutch; Retrieved June 20, 2009
- ^ Author: EC Hilgers from Geo Buro . History of the Amsterdam canals Dutch; Retrieved June 20, 2009
- ↑ History of the Amsterdam canals . Amsterdam.info. Quote: “ Het water in de grachten is nu nicer than het ooit is geweest in hun divorced. Three times a week, the meeste sluizen rondom de stad's was afgesloten at night. Vanuit het IJsselmeer wordt dan schoon water inside pompt dat een streaming veroorzaakt waardoor vuil grachtenwater via openstaande sluizen aan de other kant van de stad was canceled ”. Dutch, accessed September 18, 2012
- ↑ Author: Humphrey Agyekum, Amsterdamse Grachten ( Memento of the original from March 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . February 12, 2009. Dutch, accessed June 14, 2009 [Website no longer available. September 18, 2012]
- ↑ History of the warehouses at Entrepotdok In Dutch, German, English, Spanish. Retrieved June 20, 2009
- ^ History of the sugar factory and the Melkweg . Dutch; Retrieved June 20, 2009
- ↑ history of inland Tuchthuismolen . Dutch; Retrieved June 20, 2009
