Giant’s House

In 1284, the German Order acquired a plot of land in the fortress to build a trading house, called the Giant’s House. At the time, Antwerp was the final destination for goods from the Order’s province of Koblenz, an international trade hub. The house was ideally located near the wharf, where products could be transhipped and traded. The German Order had a presence in the fortress for over 440 years. After its move, it rented the house to the architect J.P II van Baurscheit, among others, who had his studio there. The house burnt down in 1856. Only the entrance was preserved. The reliefs and sculptures were donated to the Museum of Antiquities in Steen Castle.