Balance (The), Amsterdam

The Waag, located on the Nieuwmarkt square, was part of the old town ramparts. It was first named the Gate of St. Anthony, built in 1488, which explains the massive towers and the holes in it. In 1614, the gate was no longer part of the front line of defense and a new, wider rampart was built. It had a new function: a weighing house. This was the place where goods were weighed and the building where taxes were levied. In addition to guilds like the guild of surgeons or the bricklayers' guild, a guild of weighers existed. Currently, De Waag also functions as a media center, and a resource for Amsterdam regarding information on healthcare, education, society, and culture.

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