Nederland: historische gebouwen en bouwwerken

In the low-lying peat lands in the area between Amsterdam, Haarlem and Leiden peat was won for many centuries. Peat lakes were created, which expanded into larger lakes as a result of storms. Three lakes merged into one, forming the largest inland lake of the Netherlands: the Haarlemmermeer (Lake Haarlem). Local people called it the Waterwolf, because it swallowed more and more land and wiped complete villages of the map. In 1837 King Willem I installed a commission to make a study for drainage. He could use such a prestige project to compensate for the humiliation regarding the separation of Belgium from the Netherlands. So he opted for the use of steam power for draining the Haarlemmermeer . Together with two identical steam-pumping machines De Cruquius , commissioned in 1849, pumped Lake Haarlem dry in three years and three months. The engine could drain up to 320.000 litres of water per minute !! The pumping station is a unique example of neo-Gothic architecture with its havy buttresses, pointe – arched windows, battlements; much use is made of cast iron ornamentation (PiPs1 and 2) Both other pumping stations were modernized after 50 years, but De Cruquius remained untouched. It was decommissioned in 1932 and became a museum, which opened four years later. It became one of the first technical museums in the world and houses the worlds’ largest steam engine. Apart from the history of the pumping station, attention is also paid to the continuous struggle of the Netherlands against the water. But most impressive for me was without any doubt the visit to the engine room (PiPs 3 and 4), especially with a demonstration of a working engine; even if the huge cylinder is nowadays moved up and down by means of a modern hydraulic system.

Dickninge estate - about 75 hectares in size - consists next to the monumental Dickninge Manor of a farmhouse and restored gardener's house. On the edge of the cultivated area and beautiful forests, near the river De Reest is still a rural cottage, beautifully situated in the green. The original destination of the building with its fence in front is quickly clear. The toll at the border of Dickninge is already very old. For the owners of Huize Dickninge it was a welcome source of income. The road between Staphorst and De Wijk crossed for many years the estate. In the second half of the 19th century the road over Dickninge lost its significance as a direct connection. In February 1948, official tolls in Drenthe were abolished, but the private toll in Dickninge remained. The last toll collector left in 1962. After that the house was refurbished and inhabited for many years by the latest owner of Huize Dickninge, Mrs. Roëll.

The water tower in Delden - designed by architect H.P.N. Halbertsma - was built in 1894 and belongs to the Twickel Estate ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/48898228 ). The construction of the tower was commisioned by the owner of Twickel Baron Heeckeren of Wassenaer. The water tower is made of red brick in a neo-Renaissance style. The tower has the status of a Dutch national monument. Originally the tower was intended to serve as a water reservoir for extinguishing fires on Twickel. When the tower was put into use it also served as a water supply system for the village of Delden. When it turned out that the water contained much salt and could not be used as drinking water, the tower was connected to the water supply system of the nearby city of Almelo. For this purpose, a pipeline of more than 10 kilometers had to be constructed. The salt was derived from a salt layer in the bottom of Delden. This salt layer is later commercially exploited (nowadays Delden has even a salt museum). The water tower has a height of 37.50 meters - which make it a well known landmark of Delden - and a water reservoir of 200 m³. The tower is still used as a ‘storage vessel’ ensuring drinkwater comes under enough pressure to the citizens of Delden.

The first construction of the town hall in Delft dates back to 1200. In 1400, it was rebuilt or remodelled. In 1618 the town hall burned down. It was then rebuilt to a design by Hendrick de Keyser - a famous Dutch architect - in 1618-1620. Over the centuries the town hall was modified several times. In the process, the double staircase to the main entrance had to give way, the main entrance was widened at the cost of two windows, and the shutters and stained-glass windows disappeared. In the 20th century, the town hall was restored under the direction of architect Jo Kruger, and is now back to the state of Hendrick de Keyser's design in the Dutch Renaissance style. The town hall was the former seat of the city council; nowadays it is still used for wedding ceremonies. The building is an important landmark of Delft.

The Oostpoort (Eastern Gate) is an example of Brick Gothic architecture. Its twin towers flank an entrance moat and bridge. The gate was built around 1400. In the 16th century they were raised with hexagonal floors and high pointed spires. The gate is located in perhaps one of the most enchanting corners of Delft. The Oostpoort was once known as “Saint Catherine’s Gate” and is the eldest medieval entranceway to Delft. Originally there were nine gates to Delft. Eight were demolished by 1847. The Oostpoort is the last remaining gate in the city. The gate consists of a land-gate and a water-gate that are connected by the remains of the city wall. The Oostpoort was last restored in 1962-1964. Nowadays it serves as an art gallery and private residence.

Delft is one of the cities in the Netherlands that has a number of so called hofjes . A hofje is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages. Characteristically, almost all are built around an inner garden. The Klaeuwshofje is named after the brewery “In De Claeuw”. It was founded in 1605 by the Uyttenhage van Ruyven couple. Often, hofjes are founded as inheritance of his or her founder, which is not the case with The Klaeuwshofje . In fact, it was built when the couple was still alive. The Klaeuwshofje is one of the more hidden courtyards in Delft. The houses were intended for unmarried or widowed Catholic women. After a renovation, nowadays the inhabitants have double the amount of space; an improvement over the original sizes of the houses.

Fort Pannerden - located on a tongue of land at the junction of the river Waal and the Pannerdensch Kanaal (PiP3) - was constructed between 1869 and 1871 as part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (New Dutch Waterline). Originally the fort was built completely out of brick and mortar, with just one main battery guarding the rivers. It was upgraded significantly during 1885-1895. Fort Pannerden is the most easterly of the 50 sturdy forts of the New Dutch Waterline, a series of water-based defences. Soldiers were able to see from afar whether enemies were approaching on the river Rijn. They had to secure the flow of Rijn-water towards the waterline. Fort Pannerden is therefore also known as “the tap on the New Dutch Waterline”. Since July 2021 the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort had strategic significance because it guarded the Pannerdensch Kanaal/Rijn, which supplies the water for the inundations of the New Dutch Waterline and could potentially be used as a route towards the main line of defence. In World War I the Netherlands remained neutral, although the fort was manned as part of a general mobilisation. During the German invasion of the Netherlands in of World War II (May 1940), the fort was first bypassed. One day later it was surrounded and cut off from the rest of the Dutch army, the commander of the fort surrendered under threat of artillery bombardment and air attack. After the war the fort became a quarry for building materials and a dump for ammunition. The fort itself was already decommissioned in 1959 and abandoned. Fort Pannerden then stood empty until 2000 when it was taken over by squatters. Years of court cases and evictions followed, finally resulting in an agreement; the squatters were appointed as temporary caretakers of the fort, but they could not live there anymore. In 2008 the former squatters left the fort voluntarily and a restoration of Fort Pannerdan started, which ended in 2011 with the fort being opened to the public. Nowadays Fort Pannerden - also housing a museum (PiP4) - can be visited for a fee. The fort is located nearby the medieval Kasteel Doornenburg .

Steenfabriek Fortmond is a former brick factory in the Duursche Waarden floodplain of the river IJssel near Fortmond; a hamlet which was created by the construction of houses for the workers. Bricks were baked at this location on the banks of the river IJssel long before the factory was built. In so-called field kilns, tiggels (bricks) were baked from river clay. A first factory was built in 1828 and Steenfabriek Fortmond (Fortmond brick factory) was founded in 1889. The existing ring kilns and chimney were built in 1919 and 1920. In 1976 the factory was closed during a remediation round aimed at reducing overcapacity in the business sector. In 1986 Staatsbosbeheer (a Dutch government organisation for forestry and the management of nature reserves) became manager of the site with the buildings and the surrounding floodplains. The values have been developed from 1989 into the Duursche Waarden nature reserve. After the complex was designated a Dutch national monument in 2003, the forty-meter high chimney, which has become rare of its kind, underwent a thorough renovation that was completed in 2006. This chimney still is a well-recognized landmark from afar. The ruins of the two dozen meters long and approximately five meters high brick ring kilns (dating back to 1919/1920), overgrown with trees and shrubs, remain in the natural state of decay in which they have been for decades.

There are still fifteen active lighthouses along the Dutch coast. The vuurtoren J.C.J. van Speijk (J.C.J. van Speijk lighthouse) in Egmond is one of the oldest active lighthouses. The treacherous sea near Egmond necessitated the construction of two lighthouses: a northern and a southern tower. Work started in 1833 and one year later the construction was completed, lightkeepers were appointed and the light was lit. In IJmuiden - to the south of Egmond - also two lighthouses were built in 1876, after the construction of the North Sea Canal. In order to distinguish between the lighthouses of Egmond and IJmuiden, the lighthouses of Egmond were provided with red windows, which meant that the light emitted had a red colour. In 1834 the northern tower at Egmond aan Zee was chosen as the J.C.J. van Speijkmonument , in honour of Lieutenant Commander “Jan Carel Josephus van Speijk”, who was a gunboat commander at the time of the Belgian uprising. Van Speijk achieved eternal fame by sacrificing himself and blowing up his boat to prevent it from falling into enemy hands during the Belgian uprising. In addition to Van Speijk, twenty-five other crew members were killed. The lighthouse was equipped with a rotating light in 1891. The light in the southern tower was deactivated in the same year and finally demolished in 1915. To warn ships of dangerous shallows on the northern side of Egmond, the northern side of the light is red. The light turns white again when the ships are out of the danger zone. The vuurtoren J.C.J. van Speijk is a national monument and still shines its light over Egmond aan Zee and the North Sea every evening. It is built of brick and subsequently plastered in white. The tower has a height of 28 meters; the focal height is 37 meters. The range of the white light is 18 nautical miles and for the red one 14 nautical miles.

Enkhuizen is a picturesque little city, well known for its numerous historic buildings and monuments. The most remarkable and best-known landmark in Enkhuizen is the defense tower - known as Dromedaris (Dromedary) - at the entrance to the Old Harbour. It is named after its similarity with the one-humped camel (to be honest you need some imagination to see this similarity). The tower was erected as a defense work at the entrance of the Old Harbour and it used to be the south gate of Enkhuizen. The tower was built in 1540 and got its current form in the 17th century. The old name of the building is Zuiderpoort or Ketenpoort , which refers to the salt works ( zoutketen ) south of the city, which could be reached via this gate. The tower has a carillon of 44 bells dating from 1677. The Drommedaris was renovated (1649-1657) to its present appearance after the Eighty Years' War with Spain. Over the centuries the building has been used to store gunpowder and house prisoners and guards. It also served as an excise office, spinning/weaving mill and telegraph office. The tower was seriously damaged in a bombing raid near the end of World War II. The gate on the city side was riddled with bomb fragments. Nowadays the Dromedaris is used as a cultural centre, with three stages.

Franeker - one of the eleven cities of Friesland - was probably founded around the year 800. From the 11th to the 16th century, Franeker developed into the administrative centre of the region. In the 15th century, Duke Albrecht van Saksen settled in Franeker and the town received city rights. Franeker seemed to be developing into the capital of Friesland, but was surpassed by Leeuwarden. Without a doubt, the graceful city hall is the most beautiful building in the city. The first stone was laid in 1591 and the construction took three years. It is one of the earliest town halls in the Frisian Renaissance style; beautifully detailed and decorated. Above the main entrance, the coat of arms of Friesland is depicted and at the top of the gable, the statue of Lady Justice, the goddess of justice, is displayed. The side wing of the building looks completely different and dates from 1760. The building is a national monument and is listed in the top 100 of Dutch heritage sites.

The Corn Carrier’s House with the beautiful stepped gable dates from 1634. At that time, the “corn and grain carriers” formed a guild-like professional group. The corn carrier - in earlier times an official appointed by the city council to ensure that the trade in grain was conducted fairly - was responsible for distributing corn and grain from incoming ships. They determined the quantities of corn to be supplied and the excise duty to be paid.

Gouda received city rights in the year of 1272. In 1448-1450 the town hall was built. Now it is considered being one of the oldest Gothic town halls in the Netherlands. The building was designed by architect Jan III Keldermans, from the famous Flemish Keldermans family of architects, who were also responsible for several other city halls and churches around the Netherlands and Flanders. In the summer of 1438, a major city fire caused serious damage to the town hall. The city council decided that the new town hall should be free and chose the market square - then still a swampy peat bog - as the new location. The town hall is located on the Market Square, one of the largest market squares in the Netherlands. Over the past centuries, the town hall has been altered and rebuilt many times. It was originally surrounded by a moat, which was filled up in 1603. In the 17th century, a staircase was added to the town hall, leading to the building itself and to the balcony on the rear façade. The town hall - still the landmark of Gouda - can be visited during weekdays given that there are no wedding ceremonies.

De Goudse Waag (Gouda Weighing House) is a monumental historic building dating from 1668, designed by the well-known Dutch architect Pieter Post. Gouda was an important transit point between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. All goods weighing more than 10 pounds were weighed at De Goudse Waag , and duty then needed to be paid on them. The ground floor of De Goudse Waag - formerly used to weigh cheese - nowadays houses the tourist information center of Gouda. Further on it is home of the Cheese and Crafts Museum. Here, one can learn about the building’s history, the products weighed and traded, and how cheese is made.

Graft - then still called Greft - is first mentioned around the year 1100. At that time it was located much more to the west, possibly along the Vuile Graft , a small lake in the neighbourhood. Later the village was built on its present location. Originally the inhabitants lived from arable and livestock farming. Later the women worked mostly on small farms and the men on herring boats. On the town hall of Graft both means of livelihood can still be found: on the street side the coat of arms of Graft with the cow and on the south side a herring boat. In the 17th century Graft was a prosperous village. This is easily visible from the old town hall, built in 1613: a real eye catcher with three stepped gables built in Dutch Renaissance style. It was not only used as a meeting room for the village council, but also served to give the village more prestige. Although the name of the master builder is not known, because of its style it is thought it must have been a pupil of the famous Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser. At the end of the 19th century the building was in poor condition; around 1900 the top facade on the street side had disappeared. In 1909/1910 it was extensively restored, followed by a major facelift in 1982/1983. It now serves as an exhibition space (annex to the museum In 't Houten Huis in De Rijp), wedding location and meeting room.

Graft - then still called Greft - is first mentioned around the year 1100. At that time it was located much more to the west, possibly along the Vuile Graft , a small lake in the neighbourhood. Later the village was built on its present location. Originally the inhabitants lived from arable and livestock farming. Later the women worked mostly on small farms and the men on herring boats. On the town hall of Graft both means of livelihood can still be found: on the street side the coat of arms of Graft with the cow and on the south side a herring boat. In the 17th century Graft was a prosperous village. This is easily visible from the old town hall, built in 1613: a real eye catcher with three stepped gables built in Dutch Renaissance style. It was not only used as a meeting room for the village council, but also served to give the village more prestige. Although the name of the master builder is not known, because of its style it is thought it must have been a pupil of the famous Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser. At the end of the 19th century the building was in poor condition; around 1900 the top facade on the street side had disappeared. In 1909/1910 it was extensively restored, followed by a major facelift in 1982/1983. It now serves as an exhibition space (annex to the museum In 't Houten Huis in De Rijp), wedding location and meeting room.

Haarlem is one of the cities in the Netherlands that has a number of so called hofjes . A hofje is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages. In the past Haarlem had forty of them, nowadays there are more than twenty historical and some new ones left. Characteristically, almost all are built around an inner garden. Some of them are still in use with boards of regents. Many of these are members of the Stichting Haarlemse Hofjes (Foundation Hofjes of Haarlem). The word hofje means “small garden”, because the hofjes are generally small houses grouped around a community garden with a water pump. Often they were attached to a larger field for bleaching linen or growing orchards, but today those fields have been long used for city expansion and only the central gardens can still be seen. The historical hofjes were built from the 14th to the 19th century. They were often paid for out of inheritances from childless wealthy people from Haarlem. Many are named after such a wealthy person. The “Hofje van Bakenes” - founded in 1395 - is the oldest hofje . It was named after Dirck van Bakenes. The hofjes were built for indigent elderly (mainly women). They were housed in small houses around a courtyard designed as a garden. Age was not the only admission criterion. Being a member of the right church community, or belonging to a guild was a decisive factor in being allocated a house. Another requirement was that residents had to be self-reliant. Often the entrance was formed by a gate that was locked in the evening. Sometimes, only such a gateway still reminds of the place where one of the hofjes was once located. Nowadays they have not changed in museums: hofjes are still inhabited today. Often by elderly ladies, sometimes a mix of ages and a few hofjes also admit couples or men. Besides being a place to live, hofjes are also a tourist attraction. Many of the hofjes are freely accessible, but be aware they have limited opening hours. During our stay in Haarlem, we did the so called “Hofjes wandeling”. A great way to discover some of these hidden gems and the city of Haarlem

Haarlem is one of the cities in the Netherlands that has a number of so called hofjes : a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages. Hofje In den Groenen Tuyn is one of the more than twenty remaining hofjes in the city. The plaque above the current residents' entrance depicts a flowering garden. The plaque belongs to the house "Den Groenen Thuijn", where the original courtyard was founded in 1616. In this house, with a beautiful courtyard, 20 small houses were built in the main building and around the garden. In 1885, the courtyard was rebuilt; the number of houses was reduced from 20 to 18. A new stately entrance was also built, for which the last old gothic building in Haarlem was demolished. In 1987, the hofje was restored for the last time. On its 400th anniversary in 2016, a pump was placed in the green garden. Hofje In den Groenen Tuyn is open to the public on weekdays between 10 and 12 am.