Town Hall (Stadhuis) description and photos - Netherlands: Haarlem (Topic)

Town Hall (Stadhuis) description and photos - Netherlands: Haarlem. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Stadhuis.

Photo and description

Among the architectural sights of the city of Haarlem, the building of the city hall, located on the central square - the famous Grote Markt, deserves special attention.

The city hall of Haarlem was built in the second half The 14th century on the site of the old residence of the Counts of Holland was almost completely destroyed as a result of the devastating fires of 1347 and 1351, which, however, is not surprising, since the count's house, like most buildings in Haarlem at that time, was built of wood. Since its construction in 1370, the Harlem Town Hall has undergone a number of cardinal changes. So in 1465-1468, the tower was completed, however, it was demolished in 1772, but restored in 1913. And in the first half of the 17th century, a new wing was erected in the Dutch Renaissance style, designed by the talented urban architect Lieven de Kay, and the facade of the building was decorated in the classicism style (how the original building looked today can be seen in the painting by master Belart).

Initially, only part of the town hall was home to the city hall of Haarlem, and part belonged to the monastery of the Dominican order. However, after the Reformation, the building became the property of the city authorities. For some time, the building of the town hall housed the Frans Hals Museum and the Haarlem Public Library.

Admiring the Haarlem Town Hall, which certainly adorns the main square of the city, you should definitely look into the building itself, where you will find many beautiful paintings and various items, related to the history of Haarlem (some of them are part of the original interior of the town hall). One of the most famous and interesting paintings that you can see here, perhaps, is "The Legend of the Shield of Haarlem" - the work of the famous Dutch artist, representative of the Golden Age of Holland, Peter Frans de Grebber.

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Topic: Town Hall (Stadhuis) description and photos - Netherlands: Haarlem.