Schreierstoren, Amsterdam

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This tower seems like a building on its own but it was a remainder of the old city walls. It was built in 15th century and it was a part of the defense walls during Golden Ages. Also it was a checkpoint for the ships. Because of the situation, it was a farewell point for women.
In this web page (http://www.euronet.nl/users/warnar/schreierstoren1.html) it is said that the Old Dutch name has a completely different meaning. It means “astride” because of being on the corner between two waterways, the Ye and the river Amstel.

I've read that it was a café now.

the schreierstoren, (weepers tower), was a defensive tower in the medieval city wall. built in 1480 it is one of the few medieval fortifications that still exist in the city. in 1609 henry hudson set sail from here for the east indies, of course as all new yorkers know, he discovered a river in america instead.

From the Centraal Station area you can spot this round, rather low tower, at the end of the Geldersekade ("kade" meaning wharf or quay).

This tower marked the place where sailors embarked for long voyages both to known lands and to countries still to be discovered. It is called "Weeper's Tower" because the wifes of the sailors cried as their husbands sailed away.

This tower was a part of the mediaeval brick-built city-wall (1480), to protect the city from intruders and flooding.
The legend goes that the name of "Weeping Tower" is because from this tower weeping women saw their beloved ones sail away.
Nowadays the tower houses a pub and a restaurant.

The "Schreierstoren" was part of the city-wall that surrounded Amsterdam from 1494 and took around 13 years to be built. The wall had a defensive character and on the corners watchtowers were placed. Other constructions were the entrance gates in places where the wall crossed main roads that let in and out the city. The "Schreierstoren" was built in 1487 and is the only one that's left from the pure defensive towers. Originally it was called the "Schreyhoeck"-tower as for the sharp curve (hoek = corner) that the wall made here. History however slowly changed the name, as many stories were told about women crying here while saying farewell to their men that sailed away from the "Gelderse" Kay (schreien = to cry). A wonderful plate with this scene inscripted added in this new, more popular name of the tower.

The first thing pieter_jan_v said to me when we arrived at the VOC pub was: You need new shoes. Now, wherever did he get that from?
He was busy phoning people from the other VT meetings that were taking place that day (and he continued trying all day). I teased him with the enormous paperwork that he carried around. He did that in Rotterdam too, last August!

While making the previous picture, Igraine came out and called us in. We were indeed, a little late!
Handshaking and kisses all around. Familiar faces with familiar names, familiar names and unfamiliar faces, new names and new faces!
On the photo the interior of the VOC Café in Schreierstoren and Nighthawk in the background looking over some free publicity postcards.

Schreierstoren built around 1487 is the only defence tower left of the fortifications built between 1481 en 1494.
It's original name was Schreyhoecktoren, probably because of the sharp angle ("schrey") where Gelderse Kade and Oudezijds Kolk meet. But it is better known as the place where women saw their loved once leave for the sea. "Schreien" means "to cry".

VOC stands for Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Eastindian trading company), the world's first multinational which brought The Netherlands great riches.

This Schreierstower dates from 1480 and was part of the medieval city-walls.
A legend tells that the name comes from the weeping of the ladies who were supposed to take leave of their husbands who left from this spot with their ships. (Schreien = to weep)