t The exterior of the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum
t The exterior of the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum
Experience Oude Zijde
As the name – Oude Zijde (Old Side) – suggests, this is where Amsterdam has its roots. Originally Amsterdam occupied a ribbon of land on the east bank of the Amstel river, running between Damrak and the Oudezijds Voorburgwal (“before the city wall”) canals. At its heart was the Oude Kerk, the oldest church in the city. In the early 1400s the Oude Zijde began an eastward expansion which continued into the 17th century. This growth was fuelled by an influx of Jewish refugees from Portugal, who were fleeing the Inquisition. Many of these Sephardic Jews were merchants and craftsmen and they brought wealth to their new, tolerant city, building schools and synagogues. The Grote Synagogue, as well as the three other synagogues that make up the Joods Historisch Museum, were central to Jewish life in the city for centuries. During the Golden Age, the Oude Zijde was an important commercial centre. Boats could sail up the Geldersekade to Nieuwmarkt, where goods were weighed at the 15th-century Waag before being sold at the market.