René Descartes spent the summer of 1634 sheltering from censure in France in the house at number 6 on this square. A statue of Anne Frank (by M. Andriessen) stands to the right of the Westerkerk. Near the east end of the church stands the Homomonument, which as its name suggests is dedicated to homosexuals, of whom many died in the Nazi camps, just like so many other innocent minorities. It is one of the only monuments of its kind in Europe.