Gallowsfield

"Here, where the A'DAM Tower and Eye Film Museum now stand, was once one of Amsterdam's most lurid attractions: the gallows field on the Volewijck headland. From 1404 to 1795, the bodies of executed criminals were displayed here, dangling from gallows as a deterrent to anyone approaching the city. 

At the time, visiting the gallows field was a popular Sunday outing for Amsterdam residents. Families allowed themselves to row across the IJ River, armed with picnic baskets, to behold the hanged bodies. Some days there were even food stalls, where visitors could buy a snack while observing the scene. It was believed that this had an educational effect on youth, a tangible lesson in the consequences of a life of crime. 

Not only here in North were gallows fields to be found. They also stood near the Overtoom and Leidseplein, in strategic places where many people passed by. Before these areas became entertainment centers and traffic hubs, they were the scene of a grim form of city government. Artists also found inspiration here. Rembrandt van Rijn, for example, immortalized in 1664 the body of Elsje Christiaens, a young Danish woman who had murdered her landlady and ended up on the gallows here. 

With the arrival of the French and the introduction of the guillotine in 1795, the use of the gallows field came to an end. Today, nothing at the site recalls that macabre history. Instead, visitors enjoy movies and panoramic views of the city, barely aware of the grim scenes that took place here centuries ago."