History of Amersfoort:

The settlement of Amersfoort and the surrounding area goes way back into the past. Hunters and gatherers roamed the region as early as the Mesolithic period. Archaeological research has found the remains of hunting camps. The region must also have been inhabited in the Neolithic period; although no traces of settlement have yet been found, burial mounds with finds from this period, such as bell beakers, have been discovered. Burial mounds are also known from the Bronze and Iron Ages, e.g. on the Galgenberg, near De Vlasakkers and in Leusderheide. Some of them were already investigated in the 19th century. Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements have been found during several excavations, including in the area of de Schammer (Leusden) and Wieken Vinkenhoef (Amersfoort). The Romans never permanently occupied and lived in the region, but it is certain that there were contacts and occasional visits. A Roman bowl found in a burial ground in Amersfoort-North indicates this.

The first mention of Amersfoort dates back to 1028, when there must have been a farming settlement. The strategic location prompted the Bishop of Utrecht to build one of his farms there in order to mine the Gelderse Valley from here. This bishop's court was probably founded in the first half of the 12th century on the site where St. George's Church stands today. Trade and industry flourished.

In 1959, Amersfoort celebrated its 700th anniversary as a town.

The settlement was granted city rights in 1259 by the Bishop of Utrecht, Hendrik van Vianden. In the document that granted Amersfoort its town charter, the town was described as an oppidum, i.e. the town was fortified, probably by an earth wall, perhaps with gates. Towards the end of the 13th century, the first stone wall was built with a length of 1550 meters, surrounded by a moat. This first city wall is still clearly visible on the map of the center of Amersfoort.

In 1340, there was a major town fire in which around half of the buildings were destroyed or damaged. Around 1380, construction began on a new city wall (completed around 1450) with a total length of 2850 meters, which tripled the area of the walled city. A number of gates were built into this wall, which can still be admired today, such as the Koppelpoort and the Monnikendam. Little remains of the first city wall, with only the heavily restored Kamperbinnenpoort still standing. Nevertheless, the course of the first wall is still intact; the wall houses follow the course of the wall and use its foundations. After miracles in connection with a statue of the Virgin Mary, Amersfoort gained great importance as a place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, so that the economy flourished and the Marienturm could be built from 1444.

In the 16th century, the city suffered greatly from warfare. It was occupied by the States in 1572 and by the Spanish in 1573. In 1579, Amersfoort was reconquered by Jan VI of Nassau-Dillenburg, after which the city joined the Union of Utrecht in 1579. In 1629, Amersfoort was conquered by Hendrik van den Bergh during his invasion of the Veluwe. Hendrik van den Bergh actually had to repel Frederik Hendrik of Orange's attack on 's-Hertogenbosch, but he was unable to overcome Frederik Hendrik's defenses, partly due to the encirclement line around 's-Hertogenbosch.

The economy began to decline in the 16th century. Population growth stagnated, and at the beginning of the 19th century Amersfoort only had 8,000 inhabitants. Around 1850, the inhabitants had large parts of the city walls and gates demolished. This provided work for the poor and the stones were used to build roads, squares and paths. The intervention of King William II prevented the demolition of the Koppelpoort, the Monnikendam, the Kamperbinnenpoort and a section of the city wall.