Until World War II the area had a sizable Jewish population which included Anne Frank and her family, who lived at Merwedeplein square until they went into hiding in the secret annex located in the old city centre.
Sampai Perang Dunia II, wilayah tersebut ditinggali oleh penduduk Yahudi, termasuk Anne Frank dan keluarganya, yang tinggal di Merwedeplein sampai mereka bersembunyi di annex rahasia yang terletak di pusat kota lama.