The Snoekjesgracht (Pike Canal) is a small canal in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, in the
Lastage
Lastage is a neighborhood in the Centrum borough of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is located between the Geldersekade and Oudeschans canals, and north of Sint Antoniesbreestraat, just east of old medieval city, and developed as the city's first ma ...
neighborhood.
Location
The canal runs behind
Sint Antoniesbreestraat
The Sint Antoniesbreestraat ("St. Anthony's Broad Street") is a street in the centre of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The street runs south from Nieuwmarkt square to the Sint Antoniesluis sluice gates, where it continues as the Jodenbreestraat. ...
from the Sint Antoniesluis (at the southern end of the
Oudeschans
Oudeschans () is a small village with a population of around 100 in the municipality of Westerwolde (municipality), Westerwolde in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the Netherlands. The 16th-century fortification is now a state p ...
) in a more or less northerly direction to a bend, where the canal turns to the east and becomes the
Kromboomssloot
The Kromboomssloot, or Krom Boomssloot, is a canal in the Lastage (Nieuwmarktbuurt) neighborhood in the center of Amsterdam.
It provides a transverse navigation from the Rechtboomssloot and was previously called Dwarsboomssloot.
As the names in ...
.
At this bend there is a square with benches and a pillar-shaped artwork by Wim Tap from 1989.
The Snoekjessteeg, as an extension of the through route in an easterly direction from
Dam Square
Dam Square or the Dam () is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital and most populated city of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the best-known and most important locations in the city and the country.
...
, runs from Sint Antoniesbreestraat (where there is an exit from
Nieuwmarkt metro station
Nieuwmarkt is an underground metro station in the city centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Served by metro lines 51, 53, and 54 of the Amsterdam Metro, the station was constructed by sinking Caisson (engineering), caissons with a length of . Thi ...
) to Snoekjesgracht.
The Snoekjesbrug (bridge no. 289) crosses the Snoekjesgracht at the Snoekjessteeg.
History
The Snoekjesgracht, originally called Snoeksgracht, was named after a 16th-century resident, Jan Pieters Snoeck, who had a house built on this canal in 1595 and depicted a pike (fish) on the facade.
The Snoekjesgracht is located in the old
Jodenbuurt
The Jodenbuurt ( Dutch: ''Jewish neighbourhood'') is a neighbourhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. For centuries before World War II, it was the center of the Dutch Jews of Amsterdam — hence, its name (literally ''Jewish quarter''). It is best know ...
(Jewish quarter) of Amsterdam.
During the German occupation in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
many Jewish residents were deported to
Nazi concentration camps
From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe.
The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...
where they died.
After the war, many of the buildings on the east side were demolished and replaced by new buildings in the 1980s .
In the past the Snoekjesgracht extended further north, between Sint Antoniesbreestraat and Dijkstraat, but in 1867 this part (called the Rotterdammersloot) was filled in.
In 2003, the
Amsterdam-Centrum
Amsterdam-Centrum is the inner-most borough and historical city centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands, containing the majority of the city's landmarks. Established in 2002, Amsterdam-Centrum was the last area in the city to be granted the status of se ...
district investigated whether the filled-in Rotterdammersloot was suitable for being dug out again, but abandoned this because of the existing buildings and lack of space.
Snoekjesgracht op het Joods Monument
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File:Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Afb ANWD00607000039.jpg , Snoekjesgracht looking north to the Snoekjesbrug (Bridge 289) (1930)
File:Amsterdam P1080060.JPG , Snoekjesgracht looking to the north, with buildings from the 1980s and the pillar-shaped artwork by Wim Tap.
File:Snoekjesgracht pic1.JPG , Snoekjesgracht 2016
See also
*Canals of Amsterdam
Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, has more than of ''grachten'' (canals), about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals (Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht), dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form co ...
Notes
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Snoekjesgracht
Canals in Amsterdam