When it was built in 1488, the building most residents know as De Waag or The Weigh House, was intended to be one of Amsterdam's three main city gates. This particular one was known as Waag.The gate served its purpose until about a century later - in 1601 - when the city tore down its walls to make room for expansion. Amsterdam needed to find a new purpose for this beautifully ornate gate and settled upon using it as a weigh house. Goods were - obviously - weighed here and it was also in this building that taxes were levied. The upper floors of the gate were used for other purposes. One of the larger rooms served as a guardroom for the city's militia while other rooms were designated for members of particular guilds such as surgeons, blacksmiths, masons, and artists. Doors that led to these rooms were adorned with a symbol of that particular guild. Waag, Amsterdam Some of the guilds made changes to the building including adding staircases and ornamental decorations. The surgeon's guild even built a sort of "theater" for anatomical lessons, which were often open to the public!