Hoofdwacht, Haarlem

Hoofdwacht
Hoofdwacht Haarlem
General information
Status	Rijksmonument
Location	Haarlem
Address	Grote Markt 17
Country	Netherlands
Coordinates
Design and construction
Owner	City of Haarlem
Designations	Rijksmonument
Website
http://www.haerlem.nl

The Hoofdwacht is a historical rijksmonument and former jail on the Grote Markt in Haarlem, Netherlands.

History

The Hoofwacht on the left in a sketch of the Grote Markt looking eastwards towards the Smedesstraat and the Klokhuisplein. On the right, the fish market (today much smaller) enjoys the shade of the St. Bavochurch. by Pieter Jansz Saenredam in 1629

It was built in the 13th century and is considered the oldest building in Haarlem. Traces in the wall indicate that this is one of the oldest buildings in the city. From 1250 to around 1350 it served as the first city hall of Haarlem. A plaque above the door states

“	Wanneer de Graef hier op het Sand Sijn Princenwoning had geplant, So was dit loflijk oud gesticht. Tot Haerlems Raedhuys opgericht''	”
—see photo

This means that this building was used as a city council meeting hall whenever the Count of Holland stayed in the city hall building across the market square that was usually used. After that, various important families lived in the house. The lower part of the house has been used in the past as a printing shop, a general store and a beer storage facility. The humanist Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert once worked in the Hoofdwacht. The baroque facade dates from circa 1650.

On May 17, 1755 the building was bought by the municipality to serve as headquarters for the city guards (schutterij). Until the prison was built on the east side of the river Spaarne known as the Koepelgevangenis in 1899, there were jail rooms upstairs. Before 1755 prisoners were kept in the cellar of the city hall across the street, which was often quite damp. Moving the prisoners upstairs significantly improved their living conditions.

Since 1919 the building is occupied by the historical association Historische vereniging Haerlem, which uses it today for meetings and small public exhibits on the history of Haarlem. From May to September it is open to the public in the capacity of a free "mini-museum" on weekend afternoons from 1:00-5:00 PM.

Dutch Rijksmonument 19249

References

• History on website of the Vereniging Haerlem