It was the location from which Henry Hudson set sail on his journey to Northern America.

This expedition would lead to the discovery of the modern New York metropolitan area, which laid the foundation for Dutch colonization of the region.

Schreierstoren is incorrectly known for the fact that women wept there for their husbands, who would leave from that port, to go to war, the colonies or to fish.

This confusion was further supported by the “memory tablet” in the tower, dating back to 1569, which “commemorates” a woman who was so “heart-grieved” at the departure of her husband, that she went insane.

Another factor that lead to the confusion was the fact that the old city wall is demolished and the tower does not make a visible sharp corner anymore.