In the Korenbeurs, grain imported by ship from the Baltic region (primarily Poland, East Prussia and Livonia) was sold to traders from across Europe. This so-called moedernegotie ("mother of all trades") played a key part in the economic success of Amsterdam and the Dutch Republic during the Dutch Golden Age. Boxes placed against the walls of the Korenbeurs galleries contained samples of the grain on offer. Following a sale, the korenmeters ("grain measurers") and korenzetters ("grain placers") took care of dividing the shipment of grain into standard measurements set by the guilds. [2]
The commodity market formed the centre of a number of buildings which were built in the first half of the 17th century to support the flourishing trade in grain and other goods which had made Amsterdam the focal point of European trade. On the eastern side (Oudezijde) of the Damrak, across from the Korenbeurs, the Accijnshuis was built in 1637/1638, replacing the earlier Stads-Excijns-Huis in the same location. In this building, which still exists today, customs duties were paid on the imported goods, such as grain, beer, peat, and coal. [3] A small wooden house next to the Oude Brug bridge housed the korenmeters. This structure was replaced in 1620 by a new guildhall, the Korenmetershuisje, which still stands.
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