Amsterdam - Jewish Quarter

(Local Name: Jodenbuurt) The former Jewish quarter extends from the Houtkoopersburgwal in the north to the Binnen-Amstel in the south. The first Jewish refugees came to Amsterdam at the end of the 16th C. and settled in the area around the Waterlooplein (Jodenbreestraat, Valkenburgerstraat, Oude Schans). They were mostly from Portugal, but also from Germany and Poland. The Jewish quarter had a special charm, with its countless little second-hand shops, haberdashers and greengrocers. A market used to be held on the Waterlooplein on Sundays, although it was hard to see how the dealers could make a living from selling their second-hand goods. After the Second World War hardly anything was left of what had once been