Handboogdoelen, Amsterdam

The Handboogdoelen ("longbowmen's shooting range") is a building on the Singel canal in Amsterdam, near Koningsplein square. It dates back to the early 16th century and originally served as headquarters and shooting range of the local schutterij (civic guard). Most of the current building at Singel 421 dates to the 18th century and is part of the main complex of the Amsterdam University Library. The Doelenzaal hall on the ground floor of the building (not to be confused with the Doelenzaal on Kloveniersburgwal canal) is used for lectures, meetings, receptions and doctoral dissertations. The building has rijksmonument status.

The Handboogdoelen, also known as the Garnalendoelen, Grote Doelen or St. Sebastiaansdoelen (after the patron saint of archers, Saint Sebastian) was one of three doelens (shooting ranges) for the Amsterdam schutterij (civic guard). The other two shooting ranges were the Voetboogdoelen and Kloveniersdoelen, located along the Singel and Kloveniersburgwal canals respectively. The Handboogdoelen civic guard was armed with longbows, while the Voetboogdoelen civic guard wielded crossbows and the Kloveniersdoelen civic guard used an early type of musket, the arquebus. The headquarters of the Handboogdoelen was the largest and grandest of the three.

The Handboogdoelen was established shortly before 1500 as the shooting range for the handboogschutterij (longbowmen's civic guard), and the associated building was completed around 1512. Like the adjacent Voetboogdoelen (established in 1458), the shooting range extended from the Singel canal to the back side of the houses on Kalverstraat.

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