Korenbeurs
Where grain was converted into money
The Korenbeurs is one of those buildings in Groningen with a very impressive façade. This is where grain was traded during the heyday of the Groningen grain cultivation. Traders met here to score high prices for their product. Although a supermarket is established here today, this building is included in the Top 100 of Dutch UNESCO monuments.
Cast iron and glass
Since the mid-18th century, a ‘corn exchange’ has been established at the west side of the Vismarkt. Halfway the 19th century, the grain trade flourished and a larger building was required. Trading in a café nearby (Huis de Beurs) was a reasonable compromise, but in the end a larger building was designed. Behind the Neo-classical façade of this – for those days – super modern building is a giant market hall. Its cast iron construction includes a lot of glass resulting in plenty of natural light inside. This allowed buyers to properly assess samples of grain packaged in small bags presented by traders.
Groningen mercantile spirit
For centuries, on market days the Vismarkt has been busy with trade, so this was the logical location for the Korenbeurs. From the market, you can see three statues; one on top of the façade and two in the niches. On the ridge is Mercury, the God of trade. The other two are Neptune, God of water, and Ceres, Goddess of agriculture. This triad symbolises how the combined action between clever waterways, hard work on the land and plenty of entrepreneurship resulted in wealth in the city and its environs.