Nieuwmarkt
 The square with the Waag in 2020 | |
  Location in Amsterdam-Centrum | |
| Location | Centrum, Amsterdam, Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Nearest metro station | Nieuwmarkt |
| Coordinates | 52°22′21″N 4°54′02″E / 52.37250°N 4.90056°E |
Nieuwmarkt (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈniuˌmɑr(ə)kt]; English: New Market) is a square in the centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The surrounding area is known as the Lastage neighborhood. It is situated in the borough of Amsterdam-Centrum.
The square is considered part of Amsterdam's Chinatown, next to the De Wallen (Red Light District). There are over 20 cafés and coffeeshops facing the square. There is a daily market on the square, as well as an organic food market on Saturdays and a market for antiques and books on Sundays in the summer months.
The Nieuwmarkt is dominated by a building known as the Waag,[1] originally a gate in the Medieval city walls but converted into a weighing house after the walls were demolished in the 17th century. The square was created when the canals around the Waag were filled in 1614, and was used as a marketplace (hence the name). In World War II the square was used by the Nazis as a collection point for Jews who had been rounded up to be sent to the concentration camps.[1]
In the 1970s many buildings on and around the square were torn down to make way for a planned metro and four-lane highway,[2] which was to run right through the Nieuwmarkt neighbourhood. This led to heavy rioting, known as the Nieuwmarkt Riots (Nieuwmarktrellen), in 1975 and, ultimately, abandonment of the highway plans.[3] The metro, however, was constructed, and Nieuwmarkt is now a station on the Amsterdam metro (subway) system.
References
- ^ a b Martin Dunford (2010). The Rough Guide to The Netherlands. Penguin. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-84836-882-8.
- ^ Vletter, Martien de (2004). De kritiese jaren zeventig. NAi. p. 182. ISBN 9789056623838.
- ^ Mens, Noor (2004). ZZDP, architecten-ondernemers (in Dutch). 010 Publishers. pp. 15, 59. ISBN 9789064505133.
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