Montelbaanstoren marks Oudeschans with a 16th-century defensive base and a 1606 crown associated with Hendrick de Keyser. Its erratic clock earned the nickname Malle Jaap; later, the tower housed Amsterdam’s City Water Office.
Quick facts
The tower was erected in 1516 as part of a new eastern defense line after forces from Guelders attacked Lastage in 1512.
An octagonal brick upper stage and wooden crown were added to the older round tower in 1606.
Amsterdam’s City Water Office occupied the tower from 1878 to 2006.
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At Oudeschans, Montelbaanstoren rises from the canal edge in two unmistakable stages: a round, heavy brick base and a much more decorative upper tower with a wooden spire. They belong to different moments in Amsterdam’s growth. The City Archives dates the original tower to 1516, part of a new eastern defense line after forces from Guelders attacked Lastage in 1512. Lastage was a working harbor and industrial quarter beyond the medieval city’s protected core.
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