Weigh house

A weigh house or weighing house is a public building at or within which goods, and the like, are weighed. Most of these buildings were built before 1800, prior to the establishment of international standards for weights. As public control of the weight of goods was very important, they were run by local authorities who would also use them for the levying of taxes on goods transported through or sold within the city. Therefore, weigh houses would often be near a market square or town centre.

Between 1550 and about 1690 people accused of witchcraft were at times brought to a weigh house in order to be subjected to a "witch test". If a person was found to be lighter than a set weight, he or she was deemed guilty. This is similar to the use of a ducking stool.

Weigh houses were especially common in the Netherlands, Germany, where they are called waag and waage respectively (both meaning "scale") and Poland (waga miejska, "town/city scales", as in Cracow and Posen). Outside the Netherlands and Germany the public weighing usually didn't take place in a special building, but in a town hall, guild hall, courthouse, or the like.

Weigh House (Leiden)

The Leiden Weigh House (De Waag in Dutch) is a Rijksmonument located on Aalmarkt street (nr. 21).

It was designed by Pieter Post around 1657 and opened in 1659. For centuries, merchants came here to weigh and trade a variety of goods. In addition to being a weigh house, the Leiden Weigh House has hosted a variety of engagements and stately celebrations over the centuries. Notably, Govert Bidloo converted an attic room into an autopsy room to study the human body.

The weigh house was in use as an actual weigh house until 1972, when the last unit of cheese was sold. Nowadays, the building serves as a cultural monument, houses a gallery, is used as a concert hall, and can even host matrimonial ceremonies.

References

Coordinates: 52°09′34″N 4°29′25″E / 52.1594°N 4.4904°E / 52.1594; 4.4904