Sassenpoort
Many of the fortifications from Dutch history have been demolished or disappeared. Of the three city gates in Zwolle, one remained: the Sassenpoort. The gate from around 1409 is a remnant of the medieval wall of Zwolle. The former city gate is in the top 100 of Dutch Monuments. This monument can be visited and rented for events.
Location
Zwolle
Year built
About 1409
Building Style
Gothic
Client
City Council
Original function
City Gate
Restoration architect
Jacobus van Lokhorst
Special feature
Top-100 monument
Owned by Monumentenbezit
Since 2016
Wheelchair accessible
Yes, limited
Visitor information
The Sassenpoort can be visited. On the first floor you pay at a real gatekeeper and you get a nice impression of the stories about how the gate served as a defense of the city of Zwolle. There is also a nice program for schools. The building can be rented as a wedding location and for meetings.
Visiting address:
Sassenstraat 53, 8011 PB Zwolle
Zwolle once had three city gates: the Diezerpoort, the Kamperpoort, and the Sassenpoort. The Sassenpoort is the only remaining city gate of Zwolle. The structure was built around 1409. Anyone who wanted to enter the city had to go through an inner and an outer gate. The Sassenpoort served as an inner gate. The outer gate once stood at the current Sassenpoorterbrug. Between the inner and outer gates was a walled square, a so-called rondeel. The Sassenpoort was part of the city wall of Zwolle, which at its peak consisted of 23 towers and 8 gates.
The building had a defensive function. The building still bears traces of this. For example, in the battlement, mesekouwen are visible. These are holes from which the defenders could throw boiling pitch and oil on the enemy. Burning fireballs were thrown down from the round holes under the windows on the upper floor. The building itself consists mainly of natural stone, in particular trachyte, tuff and Bentheimer sandstone.
The first floor was probably used by the porter. The second floor was used as a service room, where the portcullis could also be operated. The artillery was set up on the third floor.
The building gradually lost its function as a defensive structure. The Sassenpoort was no match for cannons. The construction of bastions and fortifications at the end of the 16th century made the Sassenpoort redundant as a defensive structure. The building was then used as a prison, with the first floor being furnished as a warden's house. The Sassenpoort retained this function until 1739.
The building was then used to house underprivileged families. It is possible that the roof turret was replaced by a classicist dome tower with a clockwork during this period. In the 19th century, the building was used by the Ministry of War as storage space and clothing warehouse for the garrison stationed in Zwolle.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, many of Zwolle's former fortifications were demolished. In the mid-19th century, the demolition of the Sassenpoort was stopped at the last minute by the city council. However, the maintenance of the gate turned out to be too expensive. In 1893, the municipality of Zwolle donated the Sassenpoort to the State. This was partly at the instigation of Victor de Stuers, referendary and head of the Arts and Sciences department. The building was given a new function as the Provincial State Archives of Overijssel.
Between 1894 and 1897 the gate was restored under the direction of restoration architect and national architect Jacobus van Lokhorst . The building was returned to its original state as much as possible. All renovations from later periods were undone. The battlements were returned and the wooden bell tower was replaced by the current pointed tower. However, the historic wooden ceilings were replaced by wooden ceilings with a greater wood weight. This was necessary, as the new function as an archive entailed a greater floor load. From 1898 to 1980 the Sassenpoort was used by the Provincial National Archives. The archive and bookcases designed by Van Lokhorst are still in the Sassenpoort today.
Since 2016, the Sassenpoort has been in the hands of Monumentenbezit. We work here annually, just like with all our monuments, on the maintenance of this special building.