Sassenpoort
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
8011 PB, Zwolle
Netherlands
| Sassenpoort Saxon Gate | |
|---|---|
 Sassenpoort | |
 Interactive map of the Sassenpoort Saxon Gate area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Gatehouse |
| Location | Zwolle, Netherlands, Sassenstraat 51 8011 PB, Zwolle Netherlands |
| Construction started | 1409 |
| Owner | Government owned |
| Height | |
| Height | 50. Meters |
| References | |
| Dutch national monument registry | |
The Sassenpoort (English: Saxon Gate) is a gatehouse in the city wall of Zwolle, the Netherlands. It was built in 1409 out of dimension stone, mostly trachyte and tuff, and restoration work was done in 1893-1898. The gatehouse is a rijksmonument and is part of the Top 100 Dutch heritage sites.[1]
The city of Zwolle experienced its heyday during the 15th century. It became a member of the Hanseatic League in 1407, and the city gates represent the wealth of this period. In 1893 the city government of Zwolle gave the Sassenpoort to the Dutch national government, as a location to store the national archives, a function the building no longer serves. The building remains to this day property of the national government.
Building
In the period between 1893 and 1898 restoration work took place. The dormers were made, and a neogothic spire clock tower was installed, replacing an earlier 18th-century spire. In between the corner towers is a machicolation. From holes in the floor of this outer work, boiling oil could be thrown at enemies.
