Hemmed in by canals, this huge square of the erstwhile "West Market" serves as a transit point between the historical centre and Jordaan. René Descartes spent the summer of 1634 in the house at no 6. A statue of Anne Frank (by M Andriessen) stands at the southern side of Westerkerk. On the ground, the Homomonument is dedicated to homosexuals, many of whom perished in the Nazi camps.