There has been a bridge at the location of Corsgenbrug for centuries. The bridge is shown on the map by Pieter Bast dating from 1599. Balthasar Florisz. van Berckenrode has also drawn the bridge in his map of a quarter of a century later. There the bridge lies in the Korsjes-poort-steech over the Cingel.
The modern history of bridge 12 begins in 1883, when the drawbridge was out of service due to lengthy construction work. In 1913, “the demolition of the existing bridge and the construction of a new permanent bridge no. 12 over the Singel in front of the Korsjespoortsteeg” was put out to tender. A contractor wanted to do it for 26,000 guilders (the currency used before the Euro). The construction took place from October 1913 to April 1914; 50 tons of iron had to be processed. Instead of five canals, three were built. Engineer Wichert Arend de Graaf of the Public Works Department provided the design. In 2017, that iron can still be seen on the outside; the two bridge pillars are made from it.
For a while, the bridge went through life under the name Corsgenbrug, Korsjesbrug or Korsjespoort, a name named after Corsgen Jacobsz., a timber merchant who had an orchard nearby. In April 2016, the municipality of Amsterdam decided to make the unofficial name Corsgenbrug official.
Architect
1913: Wichert Arend de Graaf
Dienst der Publieke Werken – Department of Public Works