Built on a 17th century sluice gate, the Torensluis was named after two towers on either side of the water built in 1616 but demolished -- along with many other waterfront towers in the old city -- because they were too expensive to maintain.
The Torensluis is the widest bridge in Amsterdam and has a lock-up jail built into its foundations. The statue in the middle is a bust of the 19th century Dutch writer Multatuli, whose most famous book, about a coffee merchant "Max Havelaar", has given its name to a Dutch aid organisation which imports coffee, bananas and chocolate and pays the growers an economic rate for their produce. In the summer months a cafe terrace spills over the sluis, which is a great way to sit and admire the view. The book I found to be terribly dull, but maybe it was just a bad translation.