Oudewater

One test used in witch trials in the Low Countries and the German lands was weight: a witch was supposed to be light enough to ride a broom, so a person weighing too little for their size could be taken as evidence. The weighhouse at Oudewater held an imperial charter and, crucially, a reputation for weighing honestly - it recorded the true weight and issued a certificate stating the person was of normal weight for their build, which was accepted by courts elsewhere. In practice few came, mostly from the surrounding area: only thirteen certificates from 1674 to 1743 are known for certain. No one weighed at Oudewater is known to have been convicted afterwards. The Heksenwaag is still there and visitors are weighed on the original beam and given a certificate in the old form. The town around is a small canal town with rope-making history, a church and a market square.

History

Oudewater was an important border town between Holland and Utrecht and received city rights in 1265 from Hendrik van Vianden, bishop of Utrecht. In 1572 it was one of the twelve towns at the first free assembly of the States in Dordrecht, and in the 16th and 17th centuries it was an important producer of rope from hemp grown around it; there is still a rope works and a rope museum in the town (Wikipedia, Oudewater).

What to look for

• The weighhouse - where an honest weight was recorded and a certificate issued.
• The original beam - visitors weighed on it and given a certificate.
• A defence against the test - no one weighed here is known to have been convicted after.
• A small canal town - the rope-making centre around the square.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Practical notes

The weighhouse is small and the visit is short. Seasonal opening with limited winter hours. The town has little else. The certificate is a souvenir, which is how it is presented.

Nearby

Gouda is west; Schoonhoven is south; Utrecht is east.

Key facts