History until 1650

As a trading centre, Nijmegen gained increasing importance. In 1230, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII granted a charter to its inhabitants and so Nijmegen became a ‘free German imperial city’ in the Holy Roman Empire. The double-headed eagle and the emperor’s crown in Nijmegen’s coat of arms are remnants of this era. From the terrace of the Belvedere you can admire a floral replica of this coat of arms.

Hanseatic city

Trade was booming in Nijmegen and, around 1400, the city joined the powerful Hanseatic League, a network of trading centres. These Hanse towns constituted the free-trade zone of those days. The Waalkade bustled with activity. Ships brought various goods that were sold on the spot or transported to one of the numerous warehouses or workshops in the lower lying part of town. The prosperity of those days found expression in the building of the St Steven’s Church (13th century), the Latin School (16th century) and the Town Hall (16th century).

Walled city

One of a city’s privileges was the right to build walls around it. Nijmegen constructed its first simple earthen walls around 1300. Later on in the fourteenth century, ramparts were built, of which the castle also became part. In Hunnerpark, near St. Jorisstraat you can still find remnants of this city wall. The small St. Anthoniuspoort in the Lage Markt, which was built in 1611, is Nijmegen’s only well-preserved city gate.