Oosterpoort
An example of power and awe: the Oosterpoort, from 1578. In 1601 a small house for the gatekeeper was placed on top.
When the gate was built, the city was completely surrounded and accessible via four gates. The Oosterpoort is the only port that remains and is one of the most prominent monuments of Hoorn.
When in the course of time increasingly heavier weapons were developed, the gates and stone city walls were not resistant to this. More and more earthen walls were chosen in combination with stone parts. The function of the ramparts and gates changed and that is clearly visible at the Oosterpoort. The gate was not built so much to defend, but mainly to control who wanted to enter and leave Hoorn. People used the gate to levy toll and excise duties and to stop land rangers and other scum.