Jump to content

Binnenhof

Coordinates: 52°04′47″N 4°18′47″E / 52.079631°N 4.313035°E / 52.079631; 4.313035
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the government complex in The Hague. For the Rotterdam Metro station, see Binnenhof metro station.

52°04′47″N 4°18′47″E / 52.079631°N 4.313035°E / 52.079631; 4.313035

The Hague's Binnenhof with the Hofvijver (Court Pond)

The Binnenhof (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbɪnə(n)ˌɦɔf] ⓘ; English: Inner Court) is a complex of buildings in the city centre of The Hague, Netherlands, next to the Hofvijver (Court Pond). It houses the meeting place of both houses of the States General of the Netherlands, as well as the Ministry of General Affairs and the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Built primarily in the 13th century, the Gothic castle originally functioned as residence of the counts of Holland and became the political centre of the Dutch Republic in 1584. Together with the Buitenhof it is ranked among the Top 100 Dutch heritage sites. The Binnenhof is among the oldest parliament buildings in the world still in use.

History

[edit]

Comital period

[edit]

Counts of Holland

[edit]
Reconstruction of the Binnenhof in ca. 1280

Little is known about the origin of the Binnenhof. Count of Holland Floris IV purchased the grounds of the Binnenhof in 1229 from Dirk van Wassenaer [nl] and built a hunting lodge.[1] Despite Floris IV's purchase, his successor William II is often credited with the foundation of the Binnenhof, after he became King of the Romans in 1248.[2] Presumably, he started the building of the Ridderzaal,[3] a great hall where the Count could receive guests.[4] The Ridderzaal was finished under the reign of Floris V, during which the buildings were also walled in, including a gate, and the Hofkapel [nl] was built. The Binnenhof was separated in a public part, which included the Ridderzaal, and a private area for residence and private meetings (now part of the Rolgebouw).[4]

Counts of Hainaut

[edit]

After the house of Holland died out in 1299, the county fell into the hands of the counts of Hainaut (Dutch: Henegouwen). The counts of Hainaut barely resided in the Binnenhof in the early 14th century and the only addition was the De Lairesse building (which included the De Lairessezaal).[5]

Dukes of Bavaria

[edit]

The Binnenhof came to life again and was expanded when it came into the hands of the dukes of Bavaria. Albert I was the first to more or less permanently use the Binnenhof as primary residence. He also incentivised the town of The Hague to grow near the Binnenhof.[6]

Dutch Republic

[edit]
The Binnenhof in 1586
The Binnenhof and Hofvijver on a map of The Hague from around 1600
A meeting of the States General of the Dutch Republic in the Ridderzaal in 1651

When Holland had become part of the Burgundian Empire in 1432, the Binnenhof lost its purpose and was abandoned. Part of the complex was later made into the residence of the stadtholder of Holland, who governed the county in absence of its ruler. After Philip II was deposed as Count of Holland and the Dutch Republic was proclaimed in 1581, the Ridderzaal was initially a public space, often used by traders, stallholders and book sellers. In 1584, stadtholder Maurice moved into the stadtholder's quarter, and in the same year, the Ridderzaal became the meeting place of the newly formed States General of the Dutch Republic. The expansions of the Binnenhof by Maurice were the beginning of a gradually advancing reconstruction of the castle that ended after the construction of the southern wing under stadtholder William V, in the late 18th century.[7]

The Netherlands

[edit]
The House of Representatives sat in the Oude Zaal ('Old Hall') until 1992, when it had become too small for its 150 members, and a modern expansion was built on the south of the building, housing its new seat.

Between 1806 and 1810, under French rule, the administrative centre of the Netherlands was moved to Amsterdam, and the Binnenhof became useless and it was considered for demolition. When the Netherlands gained independence from France, however, the government moved back to the Binnenhof. The existence of the building was in danger a second time in 1848, when a new constitution instituted a system of parliamentary democracy and the States General wished to symbolically demolish the old government buildings and build a new complex. The local residents, however, cared more for the historic value of the building, and successfully protested against demolition.[8]

Renovation

[edit]
Main article: 2021–present Binnenhof renovation

From fall 2021 (after Prinsjesdag), the Binnenhof has been undergoing a full renovation.[9]

Layout

[edit]

Originally built as a ballroom, the Gothic Ridderzaal (a great hall, literally 'Knight's Hall') today forms the centre of the Binnenhof. Every third Tuesday of September, on Prinsjesdag, this is where the King holds his annual Speech from the Throne. Other buildings shape a rectangle around the Ridderzaal, creating a large courtyard in front of the building, and a smaller square behind it. A gilt Neo-Gothic fountain adorns the courtyard and a statue of King William II, one of few Dutch equestrian statues, guards its gate, the Stadtholder's Gate, which dates from 1620.

Looking out over the Hofvijver, the Senate sits in a chamber in the western corner of the Binnenhof, while the House of Representatives originally sat in the southern corner, at the other side of the Stadtholder's Gate. Today, the lower house meets in a chamber in the large modern eastern part of the complex. The Prime Minister's office has since 1982 been located in the small tower in the northern corner, simply called the Torentje ('Little Tower').[10] Located in the north-western wing, the Trêveszaal is a meeting room originally built for negotiations during the Eighty Years' War; today, it is the meeting room of the cabinet.

Sources

[edit]
  • Het Binnenhof Den Haag. Grafelijke machtscentrum in de 13e eeuw (PDF) (in Dutch). The Hague: College van Rijksadviseurs. November 2024. ISBN 978-90-834845-1-8.
  • Smit, Diederik (2015). Het belang van het Binnenhof [The importance of the Binnenhof] (in Dutch). hdl:1887/33239.
  • Alberts, Jaco; Habben Jansen, Eddy; Smit, Diederik (2013). Het Haagse Binnenhof. Acht eeuwen centrum van de macht (in Dutch). The Hague: ProDemos & Haags Historisch Museum. ISBN 978-90-6473-475-5.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ College van Rijksadviseurs 2024, p. 141.
  2. ^ Smit 2015, pp. 27–28.
  3. ^ Alberts, Habben Jansen & Smit 2013, p. 9.
  4. ^ a b Smit 2015, p. 28.
  5. ^ Smit 2015, pp. 29–30; College van Rijksadviseurs 2024, p. 141.
  6. ^ Smit 2015, pp. 30–31.
  7. ^ "Geschiedenis van de Ridderzaal". IS Geschiedenis (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  8. ^ "'Binnenhof twee maal bijna afgebroken'". NU.nl (in Dutch). 31 May 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  9. ^ "Tijdlijn renovatie Binnenhof - Vastgoed - Rijksvastgoedbedrijf". 13 February 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Premier Rutte in het Haagse torentje". NOS (in Dutch). 14 October 2010. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Binnenhof.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Binnenhof&oldid=1283318208"