Delft once had eight city gates but they were demolished around 1840. At the time, the Oostpoort stood so far out in a remote corner of the city that it could remain. In 1359, all the gates had already been torn down once as punishment for Delft losing a war against Albrecht of Bavaria. The gates were rebuilt after this and in 1519 the East Gate was raised. With the arrival of William of Orange in Delft, the entire fortress was fortified.
The Oostpoort is a national monument, as is the adjacent Oostpoortbrug. The iron drawbridge is actually the small Oostpoortbrug because a few metres away there is a large swing bridge of the same name. The small bridge crosses the Zuidergracht canal and the swing bridge crosses the Provincial Canal.
Photography has been my passion since 1975. Whereas in the past I often photographed people, I now mainly focus on photographing landscapes, nature and animals... Read more…