Nederland - Hoorn, Oosterpoort

The ‘Oosterpoort’ (East Gate) is the only remaining city gate of Hoorn. The tower was built in 1578 and the gate keeper’s house on top of it was added in 1601. The gate is located at the defensive moat ‘Draafsingel’ - or better the piece called ‘Oosterpoortsgracht’ - around the then walled city, which was dug out in 1577. Originally there was a wooden bridge leading to the gate, but that was replaced in 1763 by the current stone arch bridge with iron fences Oosterpoortsbrug. In 1876 the “Oosterpoort” was restored and is now owned by ‘Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser’, an association for the preservation of historic houses in the Netherlands.

Hoorn was probably founded around the year 1200 and became important as a harbour town in the 14th century. In 1356 Hororn became a chartered city and was one of the most wealthy towns along the so called ‘Zuiderzee’. In the 17th century it was one of the six cities with a chamber of the Dutch East-Indies Company VOC and a prosperous and powerful trading town.

Ships from Hoorn sailed around the world. Cape Horn was named after the city when two ships were the first to sail around the southernmost tip of South America in 1616.