The Schreierstoren, Amsterdam, The Netherlands for Weathervane Wednesday

The 15th century Schreierstoren is a tower that was originally part of the city wall of Amsterdam.  I twas built in 1487. The ship on the weathervane is very appropriate because in 1595 Cornelis Houtman left here for the East Indies in 1595.  And this is where Henry Hudson set sail for North America in 1609 on his third voyage and founded New Amsterdam (Manhattan).  

The name Schreierstoren has many stories.  One is that women would go there to cry over lost husbands, those who were gone to sea for war, fishing, or exploration like Henry Hudson. The English translation is incorrectly told to be "Weeper's Tower" or "Tower of Tears".  However the name in Old Dutch translates to "Sharp Angle Tower" because the now extinct wall once made a sharp turn at this tower.  

The weathervane is a two dimensional gilded ship.  It cannot represent Henry Hudson's ship De Halve Maen  (The Half Moon) because he left Amsterdam in 1609, and this tower was built in 1487. 

This tower is now a cafe and bookshop, located at Prins Hendrikkade 94. 

For the truly curious:

Schreierstoren at Wikipedia:    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schreierstoren  

"The true story behind Amsterdam's Schreierstoren": 

   https://www.dutchamsterdam.nl/279-schreierstoren-amsterdam   

Click here to see over 550 other Weathervane Wednesday posts:   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday 

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Schreierstoren, Amsterdam, The Netherlands for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 28, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-schreierstoren-amsterdam.html: accessed [access date]). 

The Westerkerk, Amsterdam, The Netherlands for Weathervane Wednesday

While we were in Amsterdam in April, our hotel was located a block from this impressive church, with a gilded weathercock above a fantastic domed steeple.  This is the Westerkerk, a Reformed church built between 1620 and 1631 in Renaissance style.  There are older churches in Amsterdam that were built before the Reformation.  This is one of the first Protestant churches built in The Netherlands, and at the time it was built it was the biggest Protestant church in the world.  This church is also very close to the Anne Frank House. 

The impressive spire is 286 feet tall.  The blue dome is actually the Imperial Crown of Austria worn by the Emperor Maximilian I.  The weathercock is a traditional symbol of Christianity, ever since the decree by Pope Nicholas in the 9th century.  His papal edict said that a cockerel, the symbol of St. Peter's betrayal, should be installed on top of churches.  It is also a symbol of hope, vigilance, the dawn, and human fallibility.  By chance, most of these roosters were installed as weathervanes. Early weathervanes did not include the cardinal letters, like this one, because early churches were always laid out east to west. 

The Westerkerk is still a working church, and it is open to visitors Monday to Friday.  Many famous people, including the artist Rembrandt, are buried here.  The entrance is Prinsengracht 279.  The tower is owned by the City of Amsterdam and has a separate entrance.  It is not open to the public at this time. 

For the truly curious:

Westerkerk at Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerkerk      

The official Westerkerk website:   https://westerkerk.nl/tourist-information-westerkerk-amsterdam/   

Click here to see over 550 other Weathervane Wednesday posts from around the world:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Westerkerk, Amsterdam, The Netherlands for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 21, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-westerkerk-amsterdam-netherlands.html: accessed [access date]). 

Three Weathervanes over the Magna Plaza, Amsterdam,The Netherlands, for Weathervane Wednesday

 These three weathervanes were photogaphed near Dam Square, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 

This huge building in Amsterdam, located near the Royal Palace in Dam Square, is the former main post office, which was rennovated and turned into a huge shopping mall with over 40 stores and shops.  There are three towers, and each has it's own weathervane.  

1. The main tower on Raadhuisstraat has an onion dome with a gilded, two dimensional weathervane of a postal rider (complete with a post horn).  The post horn is the symbol for the mail service in many countries, including Spain and Germany. 

2. The entrance with two smaller towers each have a gilded banner, one with the letter "W" for Queen Wilhelmina, who was the monarch when this building was being built between 1895 and 1899.  

3. The second banner has a lion rampant, which is a common heraldic symbol seen on coats of arms. The lion rampant is associated with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the former Dutch Republic, and is part of the royal coat of arms. 

This building housed the central post office, the telegraph company, and the telephone company until 1987 when it was sold to a developer to renovate it into a shopping mall.  The exterior was cleaned and repaired, and the interior completely rebuilt. It reopened as a shopping center in 1992.  

For the truly curious:

Magna Plaza at Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Plaza  

The official Magna Plaza website:   https://www.magnaplaza.nl/   

The Dutch Republic Lion at Wikipedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Republic_Lion   

The Post Horn article at Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_horn   

Click here to see over 550 more weathervanes from around the world!   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Three Weathervanes over the Magna Plaza, Amsterdam,The Netherlands, for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 14, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/05/three-weathervanes-over-magna-plaza.html: accessed [access date]). 

Enkhuizen Gatehouse, The Netherlands- for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

This gilded ship weathervane is located above the Drommedaris or the Enkhuisan Town Gate.  Enkhuizen was a walled city, but now only several gates remain.  This gate was established about 1540 at the entrance to the Old Harbor. There is a 44 bell carillon in the tower, and a drawbridge over the canal. 

The weathervane is a gilded, two dimensional image of a typical Dutch sailing ship.  The Enkhuizen harbor leads out to the Ijsselmeer, which is a huge, fresh water lake that used to be part of the sea before a large dike was built. Before the harbor silted over, and before the Ijsselmeer was formed, Enkhuizen was a major seaport like Amsterdam, and a base for the Dutch East India Trade Company.  

For the truly curious:

Enkhuizen at Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enkhuizen   

Drommedaris at Wikipedia (with lots of new and old photos):   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drommedaris  

To see over 550 Weathervane Wednesday posts, click here:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday 

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Enkhuizen Gatehouse, The Netherlands- for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 7, 2025, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/05/enkhuizen-gatehouse-netherlands-for.html: accessed [access date]).