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A weighhouse or weighing house is a public building at or within which goods are weighed. Most of these buildings were built before 1800, prior to the establishment of international standards for weights, and were often a large and representative structures, situated near the market square,
town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, and prominent sacred buildings in town centre. As public control of the weight of goods was very important, they were run by local authorities who would also use them for the levying of taxes on goods transported through or sold within the city. Therefore, weigh houses would often be. Throughout most of Europe, this building was a multifunctional trade hall and would contain diverse functions related to trade and commerce. There is a big variety among their physical organization and the external appearance due to the fundamentally different political and economic conditions that existed throughout Europe.


History

The weighhouse had two functions: to determine the weight of a given item in addition to levying and collecting tax upon it. The first function, the need to precisely determine the weight of a commodity, was of particular importance in the pre-industrial period, where regional differences regarding the calculations of measures and weights existed and there were few large instruments for weighing available. The second function concerned the need to control and regulate access to trade. In the 19th century, the public scale declined in importance due to the standardization of weights and measures in addition to the replacement of direct payment of duties by indirect methods of tax collection. Public scales most likely existed in ancient Egypt. During the Middle Ages in Europe, the right to levy tax based upon weight was a source of income which belonged to the rights of the sovereign, who could bestow it to a city or sell in perpetuity. As a rule, the right to levy taxes based upon the weight of merchandise was connected to the local market taxes as well as the provision of the staple right. The latter required travelling merchants to offer their goods for sale for a period of time when they passed through a city and also to have them weighed. Conversely, small settelements, like villages, were generally prohibited from maintaining public scales. During the Middle Ages, public scales were usually housed in a multifunctional trade hall. The designation of these buildings was more or less random, and only one of the multiple functions provided the name for the building. Thus, public scales were located in a
cloth hall A cloth hall or linen hall (german: Gewandhaus; pl, Sukiennice; french: Halle aux draps; nl, Lakenhal) is a historic building located in the centre of the main marketplace of a European town. Cloth halls were built from medieval times into the 18 ...
, or a meat hall or a store house etc. Furthermore, public scales were sometimes situated in the town hall or, conversely, a council hall may have been integrated into the weigh house. Therefore, throughout much of Europe, if a building is designated as a “weigh house”, it can be assumed that other functions took place within it too. Such a building, which contained one or more public scales in addition to several other functions, is typically identified as a “so-called weigh house”. Furthermore, there often specific places and instruments for weighing different kinds of goods (for example, salt scales, fat scales, iron scales, hay scales, etc.), and most probably these were brought together in a single building or distributed among several structures with similar purposes. Depending on how political circumstances impacted the prosperity of cities, the multifunctional trade halls which housed the public scales took on diverse architectural expression throughout the different regions of Europe. In Flanders, with its relatively weak central power, for example, the cloth halls in the Middle Ages display impressive, monumental proportions (Ypres, Bruges, Mechelen). In France, on the other hand, due to the strong control of cities by the nobility, trade halls are often reduced to simple, long wooden constructions that are open along the lateral facades, as  eg in Monpazier. In England the important harbor cities feature large trade halls (a.o. Norwich, King's Lynn, York and London). In Germany, in contrast, the trade and assembly functions are often distributed among several buildings. Here, buildings that contain public scales are located at or near large urban squares. Beginning in the 17th century in Holland, due to the special political and economic conditions of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, a unique typology devoted to the weighing of merchandise was developed. Known as the (monofunctional) weigh house, it differs from the other buildings in feudal absolutist Europe that accommodated weighing at this time, because its ground floor is exclusively devoted to the function of weighing. The main reasons for the emergence of this typology include the abolition of the staple right in connection with the creation of the free movement of goods within the country in combination with the concentration of Dutch agriculture on the production of dairy products, such as butter and cheese, at that time. Whereas the mass of some foodstuffs, such as grains, was often determined using hollow measures, provisions such as butter and cheese had to be weighed to determine their weight. The Dutch monofunctional weigh house is found in cities that are located along the western coast of North and South Holland, as well as those with direct access to the major rivers and in the province of Friesland. These weigh houses often have highly functional interiors. During the daytime, large scales, which are suspended from moveable beams and trolleys, are pushed out of the building and are parked under a canopy. After weighing is completed, they are driven back into the building and can be safely stored there at night. Based on their physical organization and structural characteristics, Dutch weigh houses are divided into four subtypes: The passage type (found exclusively in the Friesian cities of Leeuwarden, Workum, Franeker); the tower type (Haarlem, Makkum); the portico type, (Hoorn, Monnickendam, Rotterdam); and the synthesis of the tower type and the portico type (Amsterdam, Leiden, Gouda). In addition, there are a number of existing buildings of other typologies which were repurposed and adapted for use as weigh house (u. a. Alkmaar, Delft, Medemblik). In the Netherlands, the structural and technical development of the (monofunctional) weigh house came to a conclusion just prior to the introduction of the Napoleonic reforms at the end of the 18th century. In the rest of Europe, other conditions, notably the abolishment of internal customs introduced by the emergeing nation-states as well as the collection of taxes based on the value of goods, that lead to a decisive change in the design of the buildings erected for trade and commerce. No longer a venue where goods were weighed and taxation was imposed, beginning in the 19th century, the sole function of a public weigh house was thereafter reduced to the determination of weight. The weigh houses continued to serve this purpose until the middle of the 20th century, when they became ultimately obsolete.


Netherlands


Alkmaar

One of the very few remaining weigh houses still in use is the one in
Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...
,
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, where the Cheese Market still includes the weighing of the cheeses as a demonstration for tourists.


Amsterdam

The Weigh house on the Niewmarkt in Amsterdam is a remnant of the former city walls in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
. Constructed in 1488, it was originally one of the
city gate A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. It is a type of fortified gateway. Uses City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods ...
s, the Sint Anthoniespoort. When the city expanded, the
Nieuwmarkt Nieuwmarkt (; en, New Market) is a square in the centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The surrounding area is known as the Lastage neighborhood. It is situated in the borough of Amsterdam-Centrum. The square is considered part of Amsterdam's Chin ...
(''new market'') was created around it and the
weighing scale A scale or balance is a device used to measure weight or mass. These are also known as mass scales, weight scales, mass balances, and weight balances. The traditional scale consists of two plates or bowls suspended at equal distances from a ...
s for the
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...
were placed in the former gate in 1617 as a filiation of the central weigh house on the Dam square. Today the building houses the Waag Society, an ICT research foundation working in the social and cultural domain, and there is a café/restaurant on the ground floor.


Other cities

A number of other Dutch towns also have a weigh house, including
Delft Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...
,
Deventer Deventer (; Sallands: ) is a city and municipality in the Salland historical region of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands. In 2020, Deventer had a population of 100,913. The city is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, bu ...
(with museum), Edam,
Enkhuizen Enkhuizen () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. History Enkhuizen, like Hoorn and Amsterdam, was one of the harbor-towns of the VOC, from where overseas trade wi ...
, Gouda,
Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
,
Hoorn Hoorn () is a city and municipality in the northwest of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the largest town and the traditional capital of the region of West Friesland. Hoorn is located on the Markermeer, 20 kilometers ( ...
,
Langweer Langweer ( fry, Langwar) is a village in Friesland in the municipality De Fryske Marren. The town was established in 1256, and has a population of 1,105 (as of 2017). Langweer has a rich trading history, and it is located at a small lake (). His ...
,
Leeuwarden Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 123,107 (2019). It is the provincial capital and seat of the ...
,
Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
,
Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...
,
Oudewater Oudewater () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands. History The origin of the town of Oudewater is obscure and no information has been found concerning the first settlement of citizens. It is also difficult to recover the name of Oud ...
(''Heksenwaag'' = witches' weighing house),
Vlaardingen Vlaardingen () is a city in South Holland in the Netherlands. It is located on the north bank of the Nieuwe Maas river at the confluence with the Oude Maas. The municipality administers an area of , of which is land, with residents in . Geogr ...
and
Zaltbommel Zaltbommel (), also known, historically and colloquially, as Bommel, is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. History The city of Zaltbommel The town of Zaltbommel was first mentioned as "Bomela" in the year 850. Zaltbommel received ...
.
Pieter Post Pieter Post in 1651. Portrait by Pieter Nolpe, detail of a larger work Pieter Jansz Post (1 May 1608 – buried 8 May 1669) was a Dutch Golden Age architect, painter and printmaker. Biography Post was baptised in Haarlem, the son of a ...
, a Golden Age architect, had his weigh house design chosen for two cities; Gouda, and Leiden: File:Prinsegracht Den Haag 024.JPG, File:Gouda waaggebouw februari 2003.jpg, Image:Gouda-Waag-01.jpg, Relief showing the weighing process,
Gouda by
Bartholomeus Eggers Bartholomeus Eggers (c. 1637Bartholomeus Eggers
at the
(1668) File:Waag Leiden.jpg, File:20140531 Waag Leeuwarden NL.jpg, Image:Zaltbommel,_monumentaal_bedrijfspand_Sieraad%26Kado_foto4_2011-05-30_17.26.jpg, Facade of the weigh house in
Zaltbommel Zaltbommel (), also known, historically and colloquially, as Bommel, is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. History The city of Zaltbommel The town of Zaltbommel was first mentioned as "Bomela" in the year 850. Zaltbommel received ...
(built 1796-1798)


Belgium

Some cities in
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
still have a ''Weigh house'', like
Kortrijk Kortrijk ( , ; vls, Kortryk or ''Kortrik''; french: Courtrai ; la, Cortoriacum), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Regio ...
. File:Stadswaag Kortrijk 2.jpg, Weigh house
Kortrijk Kortrijk ( , ; vls, Kortryk or ''Kortrik''; french: Courtrai ; la, Cortoriacum), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Regio ...


France

Almost every village had a public weighing facility. The building itself is small flanked by two scales of different sizes (in French called ''Poids Public''). These small buildings have disappeared from the city but remain in the villages. 31 - Buzet-sur-Tarn - le poids public.jpg, ''Poids public'' in
Buzet-sur-Tarn Buzet-sur-Tarn (, literally ''Buzet on Tarn''; oc, Buset) is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also ...
. La Chpelle Grésignac Poids public 2012.jpg, La Chapelle Grésignac in
Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named af ...


Germany

Cities in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, where such a building (in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
called ''Stadtwaage'') still exists, are (among others):
Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the Nor ...
, Bremen ( Bremen Weigh House),
Dorsten Dorsten (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Dössen'') is a town in the district of Recklinghausen (district), Recklinghausen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and has a population of about 75,000. Dorsten is situated on the western rim of ...
,
Emmerich am Rhein Emmerich am Rhein ( Low Rhenish and nl, Emmerik) is a city and municipality in the northwest of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The city has a harbour and a quay at the Rhine. In terms of local government organization, it is ...
,
Kempten Kempten (, (Swabian German: )) is the largest Town#Germany, town of Allgäu, in Swabia (Bavaria), Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. The population was about 68,000 in 2016. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later taken over by th ...
,
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
,
Michelstadt Michelstadt () in the Odenwald is a town in the Odenwaldkreis (district) in southern Hesse, Germany between Darmstadt and Heidelberg. It has a population of 28,629 people. Geography Location Michelstadt is the biggest town in the Odenwaldkr ...
,
Osnabrück Osnabrück (; wep, Ossenbrügge; archaic ''Osnaburg'') is a city in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population ...
and
Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin, Neub ...
. BremenStadtwaage 01.jpg, Bremen Weigh House Frankfurt Altstadt-Goldene Waage 2.jpg, Goldene Waage (Golden weigh house) in
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, built in 1619, destroyed 1944, rebuilt 2014-16


Ireland

Weigh houses were formerly found in many market towns of Ireland. Notable surviving examples include *
Gort Gort ( or ) is a town of around 3,000 inhabitants in County Galway in the west of Ireland. Located near the border with County Clare, the town lies between the Burren and the Slieve Aughty and is served by the R458 and R460 regional roads, wh ...
, County Galway, built in the mid- to late 18th century. *
Scariff Scarriff Central Statistics Office, Census 2002Population of Towns ordered by County and size, 1996 and 2002 or Scariff () is a large village in east County Clare, Ireland, situated in the midwest of Ireland. The town is on the West end of Loug ...
,
County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 ...
.


Poland

Cities in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
such as
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
,
Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...
,
Bochnia Bochnia (german: Salzberg) is a town on the river Raba in southern Poland. The town lies approximately halfway between Tarnów (east) and the regional capital Kraków (west). Bochnia is most noted for its salt mine, the oldest functioning in Eu ...
and
Nysa Nysa may refer to: Greek Mythology * Nysa (mythology) or Nyseion, the mountainous region or mount (various traditional locations), where nymphs raised the young god Dionysus * Nysiads, nymphs of Mount Nysa who cared for and taught the infant ...
had or have historical weigh houses.


Kraków

Kraków's both weigh houses stood in its Main Market Square, between the City Hall and the Church of St Adalbert. The Great Weigh House was also known as "Leaden" for the weighing of metals, and the Lesser as "Waxen" as its scales were also used for weighing wax. Despite later transformations, and adaptations, they were both demolished in the 19th century.


Suriname

The
Waag A weighhouse or weighing house is a public building at or within which goods are weighed. Most of these buildings were built before 1800, prior to the establishment of international standards for weights, and were often a large and representative ...
is located on the
Waterkant The Waterkant is the oldest and one of the most important streets of Paramaribo, Suriname. The street is located in the historic centre on the Suriname River, and was the location where ships used to arrive. The street starts at the Onafhankeli ...
in
Paramaribo Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's ...
,
Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
, and an Unesco
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.


See also

*
Weigh station A weigh station is a checkpoint along a highway to inspect vehicular weights and safety compliance criteria. Usually, trucks and commercial vehicles are subject to the inspection. Weigh stations are equipped with truck scales, some of which are ...
, a checkpoint along a highway to inspect vehicular weights, usually equipped with a
truck scale A truck scale (US), weighbridge (non-US) or railroad scale is a large set of scales, usually mounted permanently on a concrete foundation, that is used to weigh entire rail or road vehicles and their contents. By weighing the vehicle both emp ...
(weigh bridge) * Södra Bankohuset, a former weigh house in Stockholm, Sweden


References


Sources

* Karl Kiem: ''Weigh house; a building type of the Dutch Golden Century.'' Siegen 2019. . doi:10.25819/ubsi/39


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weigh House Government buildings