Leeuwarden arose from three mounds at the shore of the Middelzee. Before the year 1000 there were already people living here. From the tenth century these agricultural inhabitants started trading. The position at the Middelzee was ideal for this purpose. The contacts reached into Russia. In this way Leeuwarden developed urban characteristics. But in the thirteenth century the Middelzee silted up and from that moment on the trading activities were concentrated in the area.
Leeuwarden obtained town-rights in the year 1435 and became capital city of the region in 1504, when the central government and jurisdiction settled down here. Besides that, Leeuwarden became the residence of the Frisian governor. In these centuries the town was flourishing. The number of inhabitants rose spectacularly: from five thousand in the year 1500 to sixteen thousand in 1650. Then Leeuwarden belonged to the ten most important cities in the Netherlands. Several monumental buildings are still testifying to that period. Such as the leaning tower the Oldehove, we just saw or the Weighing-house, which I will come back to in a minute.
The first written mention of Amsterdam comes in 1275. In that year Count Floris V granted the people living near the dam on the Amstel River freedom to navigate the waters of the Province of Holland - without paying tolls.
Amsterdam's economy floated on beer and herring. In 1323 the city was awarded a monopoly on the import of beer from Hamburg - something which had been prohibited for a long period. This gave Amsterdam a valuable competitive advantage. Baltic countries had traditionally dominated the herring trade. But when the fish shifted their spawning ground to the North Sea, Amsterdam saw its chance to penetrate a new market.
De Waag or in English called the weight house built in 1596 was used to trade mainly milk products. The Waag was used to determine the correct weight of the product and its price. The oldest mention of a Waag in Leeuwarden is mentioned in 1483, but it is not sure since when exactly Leeuwarden had a weight house. From other Frisian cities it is known that they had a Waag from the end of the fourteenth century, therefore it is likely that Leeuwarden had one as well.
When this Waag was built in 1596 it was obligatory for someone how wanted to sell something to weigh his goods on the Waag. This obligation was mainly applied to (large) traders in meat and dairy. The main product on the Waag in Leeuwarden was the dairy, especially butter. This was carried out on the weekly market days in large numbers. The Waag in Leeuwarden was therefore also known as the ' Butter Waag '. What may be noticeable is the relatively limited amount of cheese. However, This is a logical explanation, as this is because in Friesland until the end of the last century mainly butter was produced and not a lot of cheese.
The Waag on the Nieuwestad has been in use until 1880. From that year on the exhibition square was weighed in the new Fair and Waag building. Nowadays you can have a nice lunch or dinner with a glass of wine or beer in the Waag.
The Waag in Amsterdam is a 15th-century building on Nieuwmarkt square in Amsterdam. It was originally a city gate and part of the walls of Amsterdam. The building has also served as a guildhall, museum, fire station and anatomical theatre, among other things. The Waag is the oldest remaining non-religious building in Amsterdam. In 1617, the former city gate was repurposed as a weigh house. This new weigh house was needed to relieve the Waag op de Dam, the original weigh house on Dam square, which had become too small for the needs of the rapidly growing city. After falling into disuse as a weigh house, the Waag served a range of different functions. Following the restoration, the building was rented out in the beginning of the 21st century. Waag Society, a foundation that aims to foster experimentation with new technologies, art and culture, is housed on the upper floors. The ground floor is now a café and restaurant. However the building is slowly sinking due to the porous soil and the cement that was used for the restoration. In July 2009 it was falsely reported in the media that one of the towers was about to collapse. However, the foundation will need to be improved or replaced in order to remedy the situation. In February 2011, a frame was built around the tower to support it and prevent it from collapsing. While the Waag in Leeuwarden is still in good condition even so it was built earlier.
From the Weight house walk straight till you reach the street Zaailand. Than walk to the right and at the next corner turn to the left.
