Officially named Willemspoort. This gate is forever known as Haarlemmerpoort. Today we stand before the fifth Amsterdam city gate built toward Haarlem.
Let me tell you about its predecessors. Each earlier gate formed part of Amsterdam’s defense lines. As the city expanded, each gate shifted further west.
The first Haarlemmerpoort appeared around 1380. It stood near the corner of Haringpakkerssteeg. People also knew it as Karthuizerspoort.
By 1450, Amsterdam had grown. So, a new canal and second Haarlemmerpoort was built. The initial gate remained until 1481. Workers demolished it around 1506.
This second Haarlemmerpoort was a stone structure. It featured six towers built across the water around 1397. In 1577, a group of Beggars tried to seize the city at this gate. They mistakenly occupied the Corn Weigh House.
Amsterdam expanded again in 1593. This led to the third Haarlemmerpoort. It was near the current Herenmarkt. This gate only lasted until 1612.
Then came the fourth Haarlemmerpoort built from 1615 to 1618. Architect Hendrik de Keyser designed it. By 1837, it had fallen into disrepair. The city decided to tear it down.
Our Haarlemmerpoort was officially opened on November 27, 1840. It became the Willemspoort. From 1849 to 1866, it served as a municipal tax office.
The gate’s function disappeared when the bridge was moved. The Amsterdam fire department used its right side for storage from 1877 to 1897. Despite a demolition decision in 1889, the city chose to keep it in 1900.
Between 1900 and 1961, it functioned as a police post including two jails. After World War II, the gate became a storage space. Squatters occupied the Haarlemmerpoort in 1978. This put the gate back on the political agenda.
Restoration finally happened in 1984. Now, ten apartments are located inside. A further restoration occurred in 2018. Today, the Haarlemmerpoort stands as a lasting landmark.
King William II rode through it one day before his inauguration in 1840. The gate marked the start of the route to Haarlem. This was a major trade route.
The Haarlemmerpoort is built in a neoclassicist style. The design is attributed to Cornelis Alewijn or Bastiaan de Greef. Corinthian columns support the structure. A sculpted attic features clocks on both sides.
Interestingly, in 1853, the first drinking water company in the Netherlands set up a tap point here. They sold dune water for one cent per bucket.
The Haarlemmerpoort. More than just a gate. A symbol of Amsterdam’s resilience. A monument to its evolving story.