Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Haarlem

The imposing KoepelKathedraal (DomeCathedral) was designed by architect Joseph Cuypers (son of the famous Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers) and built between 1895 and 1930. The church - also called the Notre-Dame of the Netherlands - is one of the five most important churches of its time: Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Sacré-Coeur in Paris, the Westminster Cathedral in London and the Basilica of Koekelberg in Brussels. The church is the second largest Roman Catholic church in the Netherlands. The cathedral has no less than 12 large and small towers and a dome 65 meters high; on the inside almost as high as St Peter's in Rome. The cathedral was built in three periods. This is reflected in the various architectural styles, such as neo-Gothic, neo-Romanesque, Jugendstil and style elements of the Amsterdam School. Moorish influences can also be seen in the exterior and interior. The cathedral houses many art treasures. Over the past 100 years, more than 50 artists have worked on the cathedral. The church is the cathedral of the Roman-Catholic diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam and is dedicated to St Bavo, the patron saint of the city of Haarlem. In 1948, the KoepelKathedraal - then called Sint Bavokerk - was elevated to a basilica by Pope Pius XII. In 2019, the name of the church was renamed KoepelKathedraal , to avoid confusion with the Grote of St.-Bavokerk in the centre of Haarlem as much as possible The church also houses a small museum, exhibiting historical artifacts from Haarlem’s Catholic past.

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.

The Elisabeth Gasthuishuisjes were built between 1608 and 1612 by order of the owners of the St. Elisabeth or Great Hospital, which is (or better was) located around the corner. Older people with some savings could register as a so-called provenier . This meant that they could buy a one-off lump sum and have accommodation and care until the end of their lives; a more commercial set-up than the traditional Dutch hofjes . After the great fire of 1576, the Elisabeth Hospital was built on a former convent site. Building rental houses was a common form of money investment in the 17th century. Originally, there were twenty identical houses, making the complex one of the earliest examples of serial construction on a large scale. In 1906, eight cottages were demolished. The remaining twelve - together with the former old men's home and later orphanage (now the Frans Hals Museum) across the street - form a unique street scene. Due to an extensive renovation in 1931, the historical layout of the houses was lost. The fronts with the stepped gables were preserved. In 1974-1975, the complex was restored again and since then the Elisabeth Gasthuishuisjes have again been used for housing.

The Bakenesserkerk (Bakenesser Church) started as a simple wooden chapel in the middle of the 13th century, dedicated to Mary. Most likely, Count Willem II of Holland, the later Roman Catholic king, ordered the construction of the old chapel. At that time, the church was the centre of the Bakenes , the oldest part of the city, which was therefore called Oud Haarlem (Old Haarlem) until the 16th century. The construction of the present church, which was then called Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kapel (Chapel of Our Lady), probably started after 1461. The beautiful and impressive tower - built of white sandstone - of the church is a real eye-catcher. It dates from 1530 and is almost identical in shape to the spire of the Grote of St.Bavokerk . They are also called “twin towers”. The churches in Haarlem used to be city property. When church and state were separated in 1808, the churches in Haarlem were ceded to the Reformed community. The church towers were excluded from this deal and are still municipal property. In 1620, the Bakenesserkerk was prepared for Reformed use. A new entrance door (PiP) on the east side of the church bears the date 1620 and is attributed to Lieven de Key. The lion above the gate is a reconstruction. From 1779 to 1954 the Bakenesserkerk was used as a so-called Kinderkerk (Children's Church). The children of people who were supported by the Reformed Deaconry were obliged to attend these services. If they did not attend, their parents' allowance was cut. A private person bought the Bakenesserkerk in 1996 because it was a financial load for the Reformed Church. After a few years, the Haarlem municipality bought the church. The building has been restored and is the new home of the Archaeology Department of the municipality.

The Grote of St.-Bavokerk (Great or St.-Bavo Church) is located in the center of the city of Haarlem. With its 76 meters high wooden tower - covered with lead - the church is a well known landmark. The medieval gothic cruciform church is one of the largest in the Netherlands. The impressive interior of the gothic church offers a lot of splendid (architectural) highlights. Unique in the church are the beautiful wooden ceiling vault, the many stained-glass windows and the the floor, which consists entirely of 1.500 gravestones; the oldest is dating back to the 15th century. Until 1831 graves were allowed in the church, and many illustrious Haarlemmers through the centuries are buried there. The choir - built in 1370-1400 - is closed off at the front by a masterpiece of medieval craftsmanship: a copper choir screen from 1517. The choir stalls are dating back to the beginning of the 16th century; the coats of arms were applied later. The famous Müller organ was played by many well known musicians, including Mendelssohn, Händel and the 10-year-old Mozart. The organ counts 5.068 pipes and is almost 30 meters high.

The reformed Grote of St.-Bavokerk (Great or St.-Bavo Church) is a former Catholic cathedral. The church is a late Gothic cross-basilica with a slim line cross tower. The very first St. Bavo Church was already mentioned in 1245 and was considered prominent, among other things because of its belfry. The Church is built in basilical style: the nave is twice as broad as the side aisle. The direct predecessor of the present church consisted from a choir, nave, transept and a west tower which was tall enough to be used as a watchtower for firemen. This tower had a peak made of slate and probably also lead and possibly also a small lantern. It was provided with a weathercock and a clock with a bell. In 1423/1433 a richly decorated Font Chapel was built against the west side of the church with a charming baptismal font in it with a wrought-iron tap. The design for the stone tower was made in 1502. The tower seemed to be too heavy for the crossing pillars and one of the pillars sank; some gravestones around it cracked. Between 1514 and 1517 the tower was then broken off again and replaced by a wooden crossing tower covered with lead. The dimensions of the 76 meters high tower are immense: 35 to 40 meters height, an ‘onion’ of 3 meters high and in diameter; a cross of 550 kg, a cock of 65 kg and a carillon with 47 bells of more than 10.000 kg and the weight of the leaded paneling about 85.000 kg. Some more facts and figures of the church: length 108 meters, width of the nave + side aisles 31 meters, widest point of the church 47 meters, height of the nave 29 meters, The Grote of St.-Bavokerk was and still is an important landmark for the city of Haarlem and has dominated the city skyline for centuries.

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

In 1778 the Amsterdam businessman Adriaan de Boois bought an old defense tower in the city of Haarlem. He received permission to build a windmill on top of the old Goê Vrouw tower. As a result, the blades of windmill De Adriaan rise high above the river Spaarne and catch every breeze possible. Due to its location the mill is a remarkable urban landmark. On 19 May 1779 the Adriaan smock mill was put into use. For years De Adriaan crushed tuff - a sort of volcanic stone - into trass; a special additive added to mortar to make walls waterproof. It also milled seashells and oak bark. In 1802 the windmill was sold to a tobacco merchant. At that time taking tobacco snuff was very popular. The mill was given new machinery, and tobacco rolls were processed into snuff powder for decades. In 1865 the mill changed ownership and function again. De Adriaan was converted into a flour mill and millstones were installed. But in early 1932 the last owner stopped milling, as it was no longer profitable to mill flour. April 1932 De Adriaan was completely destroyed by a devastating fire. Although the inhabitants of Haarlem immediately organised a fundraising campaign for a new windmill it took 70 years that the city got its windmill back. Since 2003 windmill De Adriaan houses a mill museum and is also a weddig and meeting location. When the weather permits, the mill turns and visitors can see it in operation.