Haarlem - Town Hall

(Local Name: Stadhuis) On the opposite side of the Grote Kerk on the Grote Markt stands the Town Hall (Stadhuis), the oldest parts of which go back to a hunting lodge built by Count William II of Holland, king of Germany, in 1250. At the end of the 13th century, with the permission of Count Floris V, Dominican monks built a monastery behind the castle, with a chapterhouse, cloisters and a church. After two serious fires in the town Count William V enlarged the castle by the addition of the Gravenzaal (Count's Hall), which soon afterwards was acquired by the municipality of Haarlem. In 1455 a courthouse, the Vierschaar, was built, complete with a timber scaffold, which was replaced by a stone one in 1633. After the last execution in 1829 the scaffold remained in place until 1855. The Town Hall and the monastery, with its church, suffered heavy damage during the fight for independence and the wars of religion. In 1579 both buildings were acquired by the town; then in 1590 part of the monastery was converted into the Prinsenhof, a residence for the Stadholder and other distinguished visitors. In 1845 the Gravenzaal was again rebuilt. In 1597 Lieven de Key, a refugee from Flanders who had become the town's architect and master of works, built the external staircase at the entrance to the Gravenzaal, and in 1620-22 the north wing on Zijlstraat. Some years later (1630-33) the facade was rebuilt in neo-Classical style. Around 1860 an additional story was added to the cloisters. This was originally an old people's home, and later housed the town's rich art collection, which included such famous works as Frans Hals's 11 group portraits of the town guard. In 1913 the collection was transferred to the present Frans Hals Museum. The Prinsenhof housed the municipal archives until 1936. Later a new wing was built along Koningstraat and Jacobijnenstraat.