Keizersgracht


The Keizersgracht is a canal in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
It is the second of the three main Amsterdam canals that together form the Grachtengordel, or canal belt, and lies between the inner Herengracht and outer Prinsengracht.

History

The first part of the Keizersgracht, between Brouwersgracht and the current Leidsegracht, was dug in the summer of 1615 at the initiative of mayor Frans Hendricksz. Oetgens, city carpenter Hendrick Jacobsz Staets and city surveyor Lucas Jansz Sinck. The Keizersgracht was named after Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. It is the widest canal in the center of Amsterdam, namely one hundred Amsterdam feet, that is. The Keizersgracht was dug later than the Prinsengracht, while the Keizersgracht is the second canal of the three main canals.
In September 1614 the idea was born to turn Keizersgracht into a chic boulevard without water, following the example of Lange Voorhout in The Hague. This was abandoned for a number of reasons: It was expected that the future buyers of lots on the Keizersgracht would want to be able to reach their home or warehouse by boat. Other considerations may have been the need for water storage, the easier supply of building and raising material, but especially the shortage of infill material. The construction of the fortifications at the same time also required a lot of infill material.
The allotment on the east side was completed in November 1615. With 30 feet, the plots were given the same width as on the Herengracht. The buildings went up quickly: by 1618 there were hardly any vacant lots.
The section between the Leidsegracht and the Amstel belongs to the fourth Amsterdam expansion of 1658. The actual digging of this part of the Keizersgracht began in 1663.
In 1667 both parts of the Keizersgracht were connected to each other. The section between the Amstel and the Plantage Muidergracht was laid last. This part was named Nieuwe Keizersgracht. During the second phase in 1663, city architect Daniël Stalpaert devised an additional street between Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht to provide the canal houses with a back entrance where they could build a coach house: the Kerkstraat.
In 1949 the municipality had all the trees on the canal cut down due to the elm disease, after which linden trees were planted.

Architecture and monuments

There are many monuments and monumental canal houses on the Keizersgracht, including:

Even numbers

Odd numbers

A number of buildings were built by the Amsterdam architects Philips Vingboons and Adriaan Dortsman.
The Homomonument on the Westermarkt is in part, in the form of a jetty, above the Keizersgracht.

Numbering and orientation

The Keizersgracht starts in the north at the Brouwersgracht, bends parallel between Herengracht and the Prinsengracht to the southeast and flows into the Amstel.
The odd-numbered side of the canal is on the side of the heart of the city.

Bridges

The Keizersgracht is spanned by 14 bridges, all fixed.
NumberNameStreetCanal
width		Canal
Clearance		Clearance
at 4m width		Managed by
55PastoorsbrugBrouwersgracht7,002,221,80Centrum
54Noordsche CompagniebrugHerenstraat6,811,80Centrum
51Leliegracht6,702,271,80Centrum
106Niek EngelschmanbrugWestermarkt2x7,001,70DiVV
49Kees FensbrugHartenstraat6,702,271,80Centrum
48Wolvenstraat6,702,271,80Centrum
47Huidenstraat6,702,271,80Centrum
46Leidsegracht6,702,271,80Centrum
43Leidsestraat6,701,77DiVV
42Nieuwe Spiegelstraat6,702,271,80Centrum
41Johanna BorskibrugVijzelstraat6,881,80DiVV
38Reguliersgracht6,802,381,84Centrum
37]Utrechtsestraat6,831,24DiVV
36L.J.SinckbrugAmstel5,142,892,42Centrum

The bridge names in parentheses are the unofficial names of bridges, names which have lapsed since April 2016.
With the passage heights in the above table, take into account the fact that the Keizersgracht, like all other canals in the city center, is below the Amsterdam Ordnance Datum.

Skating

If ice forms in winter and there is a possibility of skating on the Amsterdam canals.
Waternet will stop circulation of water in the canals by closing the locks, and boats will be prohibited from sailing on a number of canals, including the Keizersgracht.
The Keizersgracht is then designated as the main canal for skating.
In 2008 a tour boat from shipping company Meyers broke to pieces against the rules in the very first layer of ice.
Questions about this have been asked to the city center district board.
The Keizersrace is a sprint race that is held between the Leidsestraat and the Spiegelgracht.
The winner of the race may call himself the Keizer of Amsterdam.
The race was held in 1991, 1996, 1997 and 2012.

Tunnel

The so-called Poentunnel was opened below the Keizersgracht in 1974, an underground walking route between the De Bazel and Vijzelbank bank buildings in Vijzelstraat.
Today, the tunnel is still present, but out of use and bricked up on the north side.

Famous residents