Prison Gate

The Lievevrouwepoort stood on the west side of the city, was part of the former fortress wall and was the entrance to the Lievevrouwestraat. The gate was built in the middle of the 14th century and is one of the oldest surviving city gates in the Netherlands. It consisted of two robust towers of Gobertanger limestone and embrasures that are designed for crossbows. It had a front gate with smaller towers and a stone bridge over the city moat. However, the gate soon lost its function when the port area was walled in 1484, placing it within the city.

The gate was extended with brick on the city side and was then used as a prison, probably in 1485. As a result, the building was also called 'Prison Gate'. Due to the Protestantization in the 16th century, the name Lievevrouwepoort was dropped. The gate was owned by the Marquis of Bergen op Zoom. In 1619 the dilapidated front gate was demolished.

Until 1931 the building served as a prison.

Wim Blankers