Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in The Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the Netherlands’ main east-west and north-south rail lines. It celebrated its 750th birthday as a city in 2009. History
Remains of settlements in the Amersfoort area from around 1000 BC have been found, but the name Amersfoort, after a for in the Amer River, today called the Eem, did not appear until the 11th century. Amersfoortwas granted city rights in 1259 by the bishop of Utrecht, Henry I van Vianden. A first defensive wall, made out of brick, was finished around 1300. Soon after, the need for enlargement of the city became apparent and around 1380 the construction of a new wall was begun and completed around 1450. The famous Koppelpoort, a combined land and water gate, is part of this second wall. The first wall was demolished and houses were built in its place. Today’s Muurhuizen (wallhouses) Street is at the exact location of the first wall; the fronts of the houses are built on top of the first city wall’s foundations.
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