The 'Zakkendragershuis', next to the 'Mazelaarsbrug', dates from 1868 and was built in the seventeenth century. Until 1950, it was the guildhall of the mazelaars, or bag carriers. The bagbearers met here to divide up the work. After ringing the bell, which still hangs there today, the carriers could play dice to divide the work. In small boats, they unloaded the sea-going vessels that had dropped anchor on the Maas.
The Sack Carriers’ Guild was ancient. A “Guild of the Mase” already existed around 1350, but its heyday was in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the grain trade flourished. At that time, the guild had 220 members. It was not dissolved until 1950, and after restoration, the building was converted into a residence. The small house consists solely of a ground floor with a high hipped roof.
- Year built: 1647
- Style of construction: XVIII
- Original function: Guildhall
