Anne's Room - Amsterdam, Netherlands     

Zeedijk is a busy, narrow street with lots to see.

Picturesque houses alternate with the many shops. Zeedijk is absolutely worth a visit. It runs from the Saint Olof Chapel to De Waag. The Waag, together with the Schreiers Tower, is a part of the medieval city walls. Zeedijk also boasts picturesque houses, original gables and the Oude Kerk, the oldest church of Amsterdam. Because of the many oriental shops, the
area is sometimes called Chinatown. If you want to rest your weary feet, you will find lots of pleasant pubs and small restaurants where you can enjoy an exotic meal.

nieuwmarkt square
The history of Nieuwmarkt Square is closely linked to the history of the Jewish population of Amsterdam. Of the 100,000 inhabitants the city boasted in 1900 some 60,000 were Jewish. Portuguese Jews who fled the
Spanish Inquisition first came to the city. As they were not accepted by the traditional guilds, they applied themselves to the diamond trade. Street trade also flourished. After the Second World War only a few Jews returned to Amsterdam. Those who came back found that their homes were unfit for habitation or occupied by others. The Nieuwmarkt area deteriorated quickly. A drastic change took place in the 1970s. The local council decided to construct a subway system. The people in this quarter were very much against the plans, because they were concerned that the character of the area would be negatively affected. The local council, as a result, only executed part of its original plans. Nieuwmarkt is dominated by De Waag. The building looks like a medieval fortress, however, it was once one of
the cities’ gates: St. Anthony Gate. Look closely and you will see the bullet holes in the round towers that date from around 1500. In 1614 the Nieuwmarkt area was expanded.
Some of the city's guilds had their offices on the top floor of De Waag. Each guild had its own entrance. The entrance of the surgeons' guild still reads: "Theatrum Anatomicum". This is where Rembrandt painted one of
his most famous works: "Anatomy Lesson of ProfessorTulp".