Stories during stage 1.

The myth of the cast iron lockers!

Many an attentive Maastricht residents knows them, the cast-iron lockers that are built in the facades of several gatekeepers houses.

Until a few years ago, it was generally believed that these lockers used to be used to store the keys to the city gates. However, nothing is less true!
Recently, it was discovered that some of the gate keys that have been preserved are far too large for the small alleged key cabinets.

But what were they for?

Some ‘Maastricht experts’ went to investigate and discovered the following.

A text on one of the lockers refers to a French company that manufactured lockers in the second half of the 19th century, in which a time clock mechanism was built. In all probability, this system also served in Maastricht for the night watchmen, who recorded their control rounds on these time clocks in this way.

And this had nothing to do with the opening and closing of the city gates.

Yet another mystery unraveled!