Canals of Amsterdam#Keizersgracht

The Keizersgracht (German: Kaiser ditch ) is the average of the three main canals of the resultant in the historical heart of Amsterdam in the 17th century Amsterdam canal belt. It surrounds the medieval town center semi-circular in the west and south. Within parallel to it runs the Herengracht, Prinsengracht the outside.

Cross section and the course

The road consists of a wide navigable channel in the center, which is bounded on both sides by a motorable road to the development of houses and spans in the amount of cross- roads of a total of 14 bridges. The roadways are today, as in the old Amsterdam usual, designated as one-way streets, so that the channel forms a wide median strip.

The plots are very low according to the typical old Dutch design in general, but only have a narrow frontage.

The Keizersgracht has a length of 2.7 kilometers and begins in the northwest of the old town on the Brewers Canal and initially runs in a southwesterly direction. Just before crossing the Raadhuisstraat, at the Westerkerk, they come to a bend in a southerly direction. Other kinks on the Leidsegracht, the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat and Reguliersgracht steer the course in an easterly direction until the Keizersgracht encounters in the south of the old town on the natural river Amstel.

Just south of the confluence of the Keizersgracht leads the Skinny Bridge over the Amstel.

Beyond the Amstel River, the short Nieuwe Keizersgracht, which leads to the plantation and is traversed by two other bridges, including the Weesperstraat.

In the course of Raadhuisstraat, Leidsestraat, Vijzelstraat and Utrechtsestraat the Keizersgracht is crossed by trams, with the exception of Vijzelstraat are located on the Keizersgracht stops. The Nieuwe Keizersgracht is under crossed in the course of Weesperstraat of the subway, the nearest railway station is located one block north of Waterloo Square.

All sections of the canal are part of the district of Amsterdam-Centrum.

History

The Keizersgracht was created in 1612 on the initiative of Mayor Frans van Hendricksz Oetgens Waveren, city architect Hendrick Jacobsz Staets and city surveyor Lucas Jansz Sinck. It is the widest canal in the center of Amsterdam.

With the construction of the road and the ditch of the old town was started in the West. The southern part between Leidsegracht and Amstel arose in the course of expansion in 1658. The newest part is the continuation beyond the Amstel to the plantation, this was called the Nieuwe Keizersgracht.

In House Keizersgracht 333, there was the Querido publishing house, which under the leadership of Helmut Fritz Landshoff moved the works of major German-speaking writer from 1933, which were banned in Nazi Germany, and thus played an important role in the German exile literature.

Known Structures

Among the numerous historical buildings of the street

  • Keizersgracht 102: De Rode Hoed (1630 )
  • Keizersgracht 123: Huis met de Hoofden ( 1622)
  • Keizersgracht 177: de Coymanshuizen, designed by Jacob van Campen ( 1625)
  • Keizersgracht 209: de Hoop ( 1734)
  • Keizersgracht 220: the Church of Our Lady (1854 )
  • Keizersgracht 224: Saxenburg ( 1765 )
  • Keizersgracht 225: De Koopermoole ( 1746 )
  • Keizersgracht 324: Felix Meritis (1787 )
  • Keizersgracht 333: (1710 ) was the Querido publishing house.
  • Keizersgracht 334-336: the Reinierszhofje Claes ( 1618)
  • Keizersgracht 401: Huis Marseille ( 1665), now the Museum of Photography
  • Keizersgracht 672-674: the Van Raey houses, now the Museum Van Loon ( 1671)
  • Keizersgracht 676: the New Walloon Church (1856 )

Many of the magnificent baroque canal houses in the Keizersgracht canal were built by the Amsterdam architect Philips Vingboons ( 1607-78 ) and Adriaan Dortsman ( 1635-82 ).

There are also the Westerkerk ( 1620-31 ) and the world's first memorial against the persecution of homosexuals, the Homo Monument ( 1987) On the corner Raadhuisstraat.

House numbers

The numbering of the houses in the Keizersgracht canal begins at the northwest end of the road. The odd numbers are on the "inside" ( located towards the Old Town) side of the road, the straight on the outside.

  • In height Keizersgracht 200 and 183 crosses the Raadhuisstraat
  • In height Keizersgracht 508 and 455 crosses the Leidsestraat
  • In height Keizersgracht 648 and 589 crosses the Vijzelstraat
  • In height Keizersgracht 764 and 709, the Utrechtsestraat crosses

Memorable people

Well-known residents of the street include:

  • John Adams (1735-1826), second president of the United States, Keizersgracht 529
  • Johann Rudolph Glauber (1604-1670), chemist and the first industrial chemist, presumably Keizersgracht 109
  • Mattheus Lestevenon (1715-1797), councilor and diplomat; Thomas Hope (1704-1779), Henry Hope (1735-1811) and Adriaan van der Hoop (1778-1854), art collector and banker, all in the Keizersgracht 444-446, the former public library
  • Han van Meegeren (1889-1947), painter and art forger, Keizersgracht 321
  • Benno Premsela (1920-1997), architect and LGBT activist, Keizersgracht 518
  • Nicolaes Tulp (1593-1674), Mayor of Amsterdam and surgeon
Canals of Amsterdam#Herengracht Canals of Amsterdam#Prinsengracht Magere Brug Amsterdam Metro Waterlooplein Johann Rudolf Glauber
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