In the run-up to the renovation of the bus station on the Nelson Mandela Bridge, near the Rijnstraat, a piece of medieval Arnhem was discovered. It is probably the foundation of a defense work at the Rhine Gate, dating from the 14th or 15th century.
At least that is the suspicion of Leo Smole, archaeologist at the municipality of Arnhem and very enthusiastic about the find. He was called in when, during excavation work at the site where a new staircase is to be built, a solid brick structure suddenly became visible, about 1.5 meters below ground level, pierced by a sewer pipe.
It soon became clear that it had to be part of the old city wall of Arnhem. On the basis of the size of the bricks and old maps used, he concludes that this may have been the foundation of a so-called round part. This probably belonged to the Rijnpoort, one of the four gates the city once had.
“Such a round part was built on the outside of the city wall to better defend the gate and as a platform for artillery, for example cannons.” The Rijnpoort was fitted with such a roundel in 1519. “That can be seen on a map of Arnhem from 1570, made by Jacob van Deventer”, Smole teaches.
He also bases his judgment on the construction method: “On the outside it is neat, on the inside it is a jumble of debris and mortar, purely to give it weight. It also goes several meters deep into the ground. That was done to prevent that the enemy might dig under the wall.”
The gap on the Nieuwe Plein has now been closed again. The ‘makeover’ of the bus station is planned for the autumn. It must become a ‘modern, open and accessible place’, with much more greenery around the bus stops. Smole hopes that more parts of the old city wall will emerge in future work.