The Gold Office

The Goudkantoor (English: Gold Office) is a Dutch renaissance building built in 1635 and located on Waagstraat near the Grote Markt (Main Square) in Groningen.

Originally it was built as an office for the receiver of the province when it was called Collectehuis (fund raiser house).

There is a Latin text on the building, 'Date Caesari quae sunt Caesaris'
(in English: Render unto Ceasar that which is Caesar's) and it refers to the original function.

The name Goudkantoor goes back to 1814-1887, when the Waarborgbureau voor Goud- en Zilverwerken was located in the building. Gold and Silver could get a Hallmark so people could prove it was real.

In the second World War it survived the liberation fights, because fire-fighters saved it from burning down.

It is currently a restaurant

Can you imagine it only cost 9000 Dutch Florins (€ 3959,- / $ 5000,-) to build? It's invaluable now!

Here are some vintage pictures of how the surroundings changed over the ages, but this building survived it all.

I traveling down south for a - hopefully - unique dawn shot. Have a nice day!