The Waag, or, Weigh House, in Amsterdam is located on Nieuwmarkt. It is a sprawling fifteenth century building with several turrents. Originally part of one of Amsterdam’s fortified gates, the expansion of the city made it obsolete, and it was turned into a weigh house. The rooms upstairs were occupied by the surgeons guild, which used them for lectures and dissections. It was a public dissection in this building which was the inspiration for Rembrandt’s ’Anatomy Lesson of Dr Tulp’ . The building fell into disuse in the 19th century, but has now been restored and turned into a bar and restaurant.
