Murals in the Hanseatic cities

The murals of The Tight Hand, what do they mean?

The murals in the Hanseatic cities are created by painters of "De Strakke Hand. This is a Dutch painting collective of artists who join forces to create large murals in the urban landscape.

The basis of each mural is a photo of people from the relevant Hanseatic city wearing clothes from the Hanseatic era, with a twist to the present. An individual QR code has been added to each mural. After scanning the code on the smartphone, the actors step out of the mural and tell a story about the city and the mural.

Mural in Kalkar

Already in the Hanseatic period, the German city of Kalkar was known for its many artists. Today, art still plays an important role in Kalkar. This can be seen, among other things, in the mural. The mural visualizes a painter painting a passing lady.

Both the painter and the passing lady currently live in Kalkar. The lady is holding a book by a famous German writer who currently lives in Kalkar. The painter is also a painter in real life and his studio is just behind the town hall, on the right.

Address: Grabenstrasse, Kalkar

Mural in Harderwijk

Harderwijk is a bustling, burgundian and enchanting Hanseatic city. The elements that make Harderwijk the city it is today can be found in the mural.

The mural features a nun and a ship's mate from Harderwijk. The nun refers to the old convent. She folds the cloth. An important element in the mural are the Van Delft pepernoten. These nationally known pepernoten are made in a factory in Harderwijk. We also see the Hanseatic horse and the cloth lead, the coin, in the painting.

Address: Klooster 17, Harderwijk

Mural in Emmerik on the Rhine

Emmerik on the Rhine is a German Hanseatic city known for its Rhine promenade. Here you will find good restaurants with beautiful views of the Rhine as well as Germany's longest suspension bridge. In Hanseatic times, stockfish, coffee and wine were the trading products of the Hanseatic city. The mural tells the story of trading between different people.

On the mural you can see two trading men and a woman holding coffee in her hand. In the background you can see the church from the Hanseatic era. The translation to now is the contemporary beach house that Emmerik on the Rhine is known for. The promenade is full of these typical beach houses, offering tourists and walkers peace and quiet to enjoy the view of the water. The new bridge from the 1960s is also visible on the mural.

Address: Steintor 3, Emmerich am Rhein / Emmerik on the Rhine

Mural in Maasbommel

In the Hanseatic period, Maasbommel was known for its basket weaving. Meanwhile, basket weaving is one of the oldest crafts in the world.

You can clearly see this special craft in the mural in Maasbommel. In many forms, baskets were made in Hanseatic times from natural and cheap raw materials such as branches and reeds. They were lightweight and strong: ideal for transporting merchandise to market.

In the background you can see De Gouden Ham, a recreational lake that attracts a lot of tourism. The area is known for its beach, nature and floating cottages. The colored toys in the sand refer to today's tourism.

Address: Near Veerweg 1, Maasbommel

Mural in Deventer

Deventer today is a bustling and vibrant Hanseatic city. The Hanseatic city used to be known for its (annual) markets and merchandise, including stockfish. These elements have been incorporated into the mural in Deventer.

The mural shows a little boy with his mother. The boy has Deventer Koek in his arms and has secretly eaten from one cake. He is wearing a scarf of the local soccer club Go Ahead Eagles - this is a reference to what Deventer is now known for.

The woman stands by a market cart and holds a stockfish in her hands. This stockfish hangs from the cart and the woman puts one in her carrying basket. And if you look closely, you can also see a detail of the Bergkerk in the background.

Address: Treurnietsgang, Deventer

Mural in Wesel

The German Hanseatic city of Wesel is originally a fortified town. In the Netherlands we know the Hanseatic city, among other things, because of the well-known echo proverb "The donkey of Wesel". Also in Germany itself this is a well-known saying. Therefore, you can find statues of the German "Esel von Wesel" in several places of the city.

The "Esel von Wesel" can also be seen in the mural. The two men depicted are trading with each other. In the background you can see a beautiful building from the Hanseatic era.

Address: Schmidstrasse 5-7, Wesel

Mural in Doesburg

Doesburg is a Hanseatic city that used to be known for commodities such as mustard, salt and "Doesburgsche Moppen" (almond cookies). Did you know that mustard has been traded since 1457?

The picture painted was taken in 'Stadsbierhuys de Waag'. Today this is a restaurant/café. The building dates back to 1478 and served as the city beer house, an inn where the city's workers were paid part of their wages in beer. Later, it also served as a weighing house. A scales promoted fair trade: indispensable to the city as a reliable trading center.

Address: Kosterstraat 6, Doesburg