The crumbling brick whispers tales of sieges. This is the Bolwerk Weesp Molen het Fortuin. It stands as a silent sentinel a testament to Amsterdam’s history.
Bolwerk Weesp part of the Fourth City Expansion was built in 1661. Its name honors its position near the road to Weesp. The Bolwerk Weesp Molen het Fortuin a windmill named Fortune once proudly stood here. It served as a crucial part of Amsterdam’s defenses. It also played a vital role in the city’s daily life.
The windmill wasn’t always here. It was initially a grit mill grinding grist. Later it became a corn mill. This wasn’t its first location. It had been moved from near the Regulierspoort. This move was remarkable about 1800 meters. It was the largest relocation of a fortification mill. We don’t know if the entire mill moved or just key parts.
Over the years the mill changed hands. Different millers operated it. It even had a second name De Drie Prinsen. In 1843 lightning struck the mill. A devastating fire followed. It was rebuilt but only to face a similar fate again in 1845. The mill was insured. It was resurrected once more. Unfortunately it didn’t survive for long. By 1863 it was gone to make way for a cavalry barracks.
Meanwhile the bolwerk itself suffered neglect. By 1805 its walls were in such disrepair that officials proposed demolition. They decided to lower the walls. The earthworks were removed. By 1808 demolition was complete.
The area was replanted. It became part of a large park between the Plantage area Muiderpoort and the Amstel River. Even the old Wertheimpark was incorporated. The once formidable defense structure was slowly transformed into a green space. A quiet contrast to its earlier role in Amsterdam’s turbulent past. But the memory of the Bolwerk Weesp Molen het Fortuin endures here. It echoes in the very ground beneath our feet. A reminder of Amsterdam’s past and a testament to the passage of time.