Nieuwmarkt

The station lies beneath the Nieuwmarkt (New Market), the square around De Waag. The square was created in 1614 when the canals around the Waag were filled in, and was used as a market, hence the name.

The station that remembers its own riots

In December 1974 demolition began on houses in the Nieuwmarkt neighbourhood to make way for the metro's East Line. The tunnel was largely built by sinking huge concrete caissons from above, which meant the buildings on top had to go. Residents considered their homes perfectly sound and fought back. From 24 March to 8 April 1975 this escalated into fierce clashes with police; the first day became known as Blue Monday. More than a hundred police officers were backed by 500 military police. The city council had already scrapped further metro lines a few days earlier, and the planned four-lane road through the area was also abandoned.

The station opened on 11 October 1980 and tells that history itself. Jan Sierhuis made a wrecking ball smashing through a brick wall, Louis van Gasteren used wooden posts, steel beams and a fence to show the city underground, and Bert Griepink displayed half-demolished walls and photos of the demolition. Together with Roel van den Ende they also made four triptychs of photos and broken mirrors. In 1997 a text by Tine Hofman was added to the platform floor: Wonen is geen gunst maar een recht (housing is not a favour but a right).

The station was also designed as a public shelter for 6,000 people, with large sliding doors and airlocks at the entrances.