Picture this. You are standing before the Waag in Amsterdam. This magnificent building is more than just a pretty face. It is the oldest surviving non-religious structure in Amsterdam.
The Waag’s story began long ago. It wasn’t always a weigh-house. In fact it was once the Sint Antoniespoort Saint Anthony’s Gate a vital part of Amsterdam’s medieval city walls. These walls built between 1481 and 1494. They featured defensive towers and gates. All connected by brick walls with natural stone. Today only remnants remain. The Waag however stands as a testament to that era. A gable stone on its facade proclaims 1488 as the year its first stone was laid. However recent research suggests the Waag is even older perhaps dating back to around 1425. The 1488 date might mark an expansion not the initial construction.
The Waag served many purposes. It was a city gate then a weigh house. A crucial civic function in a growing city. This relieved the pressure on the older weigh house on Dam Square. The Waag also housed various guilds. The blacksmiths’ painters’ masons’ and surgeons’ guilds. Each guild had its own entrance. Their emblems are still visible today. The surgeons’ guild’s entrance even bears the inscription Theatrum Anatomicum.
In the 17th century a dome-shaped hall was added. It’s topped by a central octagonal tower. The building’s interior dates back to this period as well. The Waag even featured in Rembrandt’s famous painting The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp. The surgeons’ guild commissioned this masterpiece for their guildhall within the Waag.
The Waag’s role as a weigh house ended in 1819. Its final weighing a chest of indigo. Afterward it transformed yet again. A fencing hall a furniture workshop a fire station even city archives at different times. In the 20th century it briefly housed the Amsterdam Historical Museum and the Jewish Historical Museum. A period of disuse followed. Then the building was nearly demolished to make way for a modern glass extension. Thankfully this didn’t happen. A restoration project meticulously repaired the building. It restored its original prominence on Nieuwmarkt Square. Today the Waag is home to the Waag Society. A foundation dedicated to new technologies art and culture. The ground floor however is Restaurant-Cafeacute In de Waag. A lovely place to enjoy food and drink. A quiet spot in the heart of busy Amsterdam.