The Old Harbor

Long before the imposing Central Station was built, this site was home to Amsterdam's harbour, the beating heart of the city between the 14th and 19th centuries. In fact, it was located roughly where we are standing now. Unlike today, the harbour was not located along the quays, but in the middle of the IJ river. Large seagoing vessels moored at double rows of posts, from where small boats transported their cargo to the Damrak. Only ships carrying beer were allowed to sail directly to the customs house on the Damrak to unload their cargo.
 

The harbour was protected by a maritime city wall made of poles, interrupted by passages with floating barriers – called ‘bomen’ – guarded from watchtowers. Well-known names from that time are the Kraansboom, the Nieuwebrugsboom and Hannekes Boom. The latter lives on in the name of the current café Hannekes Boom, a popular spot on the waterfront. This was once the place where ships entered or left the city, controlled by guards who monitored access.

In 1662, the Nieuwe Stadsherberg was built on heavy oak piles in the IJ. This inn provided accommodation for sailors who were no longer allowed to enter the city after the tree bell rang. A long gangway connected the inn to the shore, near the current Karpershoek café. Many did not make it across the gangway and drowned in the cold water.

The harbour was not only a place of activity, but also of drama. In 1535, for example, seventeen female Anabaptists, convicted of storming the town hall, were drowned in the IJ.
 

Around 1880, this centuries-old harbour disappeared to make way for Central Station. Only a few traces remain of this era, such as the old water kerb on Guldehandsteeg and the excise house on Damrak, now a café. But names such as Hannekes Boom keep the past alive.
 

The accompanying photo shows the Schreierstoren, which you may have passed on your way here. This tower once overlooked a large open expanse of water, exactly where the station now stands.