* History

Grote Markt (Market Square)

Haarlem is the capital of the province of North Holland, and the eighth largest city in the Netherlands. Haarlem is known for its pharmaceutical industry and floriculture.

The first reference to Haarlem as a settlement was only made in historical documents around 900-950. This reference mentions three farms in ‘Haralem’.

History

The name Haarlem probably means ‘house situated on high, sandy ground covered with bushes’. The counts of Holland had a fortress in this area, which they used as a base for the management of their land. Haarlem received municipal status in 1245. In the preceding period, the original farming population had concentrated more on trade and enterprise. Among other things, this can be ascribed to the fact that Haarlem was favourably situated on an old north-south overland route. The River Spaarne also provided good access to transport by water. With municipal status, Haarlem became more autonomous. In addition, the rules of law had been tailored more to the needs of traders than farmers. The city prospered. The beer breweries (120 in the fifteenth century!), the shipbuilding industry and the textile industry were extremely important to the economy. Nineteen convents and one beguinage were established. In the course of the fifteenth century, the economy began to decline. Houses stood empty, and the city could no longer pay its debts.

Religious conflicts and the Golden Era

In 1572, the town council voted in favour of Prince William of Orange’s rebels, and against the Spanish king. Consequently, Spanish troops besieged the city at the end of that year (Siege of Haarlem). Legend has it that Kenau Simonsdr. Hasselaar played an important role in the defence of the city. The city eventually had to surrender in June 1573. In 1576, an enormous fire gutted 449 houses. The fire was caused by the Spanish soldiers encamped in the city. The Spaniards left in 1577. The city then explicitly sided with Prince William of Orange. This resulted in the (Catholic) convents also being closed in Haarlem. Catholic life had to go underground.

The period after 1577 was one of recovery, and soon even a time of great prosperity. Haarlem had about 18.000 inhabitants around 1573. By 1622, the number of inhabitants had already increased to 40.000. This can be ascribed to the fact that many Flemish people migrated to the north, and also to Haarlem. They came, not only because they no longer wanted to live under Spanish rule, but also because they saw greater economic opportunities in the north. The well-known Haarlem painter Frans Hals, for instance, was the son of a Flemish textile worker who migrated to the north.

This Flemish migration provided an additional impetus to the textile industry in particular – the wool industry as well as the linen industry. Haarlem linen enjoyed a very good reputation because it was bleached to snow-white perfection in the area surrounding the city. Haarlem also became famous for its silk fabrics, skilfully woven into patterns, and for its “machine”-made ribbons. These ribbons were important in the fashion of the time. They were used to alter and update old, but durable dresses so that they became fashionable once again.

Ups and downs from 1680 to the present

From about 1680, the city began going downhill. The population and activities diminished. By 1815 the population had even dwindled to 17.000 inhabitants, many of whom were poor. In 1846, things still did not look good. One out of every five inhabitants of Haarlem had to live on charity.

However, the city gradually began to recover in the second half of the nineteenth century. New industries were developed. Thus, the carriage factory of J.J. Beijnes developed into the modern Koninklijke Fabriek van Rijtuigen en Spoorwagens. The crate factory of Hendrik Figee gave rise to an industry specialising in cranes, pile-driving machines and dredging machines. Haarlem also won international acclaim in the graphic industry field. The Enschedé company, for instance, developed into a major and multifaceted industry.

Haarlem, which had been dwarfed by its surroundings ever since the end of the seventeenth century, began to expand. Initially, the city was only extended by merging with parts of adjoining municipalities. In 1927, the growing city even engulfed the entire municipality of Schoten. The crisis of the thirties also caused much social misery in Haarlem. The Beijnes factory, for instance, had to lay off 400 of its 460 workers. The city also went into the red. After the Second World War, the large industries disappeared from the city. Haarlem became a city of shops, schools, public services, banks, etc. Today, Haarlem is a city with roughly 148.000 inhabitants. A city that is justifiably proud of its long history. A few more noteworthy facts gleaned from the city’s history: first railway line (Haarlem-Amsterdam, 1839), first electric tram (1899), first museum in the Netherlands (Teylers Museum, 1778), first football club (Koninklijke HFC, 1879), first baseball stadium (1963), first newspaper in Europe (1656), first HBS (1864), first training college (1868)… And Haarlem beer, the pride of the local people for many centuries, is now available on the market again (although it is not brewed in Haarlem, but in Tilburg).


Teylers Museum

Teylers Museum

The oldest museum in the Netherlands (1784). A visit to this museum is a voyage of discovery along the routes of art and science, from millions of years ago up to the present. A stroll through the museum will take you from sketches, illustrations and paintings to fossils and minerals, from physical instruments to pennies and coins. You will become acquainted with man at the time of the Flood and the mosasaurus. If you are lucky, you could find an original Michelangelo or Rembrandt hanging in the print gallery. If you use your imagination, you can see sparks flying from the largest electrostatic generator in the world. What makes this museum unique is its historical presentation, which has remained unaltered since the 18th and 19th centuries. Together, the buildings and collections constitute a monument to two centuries of cultural history.

 Rembrandt van Rijn
Rembrandt

The halls (Vleeshal and Verweyhal)

The 'Verweyhal' and the 'Vleeshal' are two historical buildings adjoining the Grote Markt, and form part of the Frans Hals museum. These buildings house, among other things, the Frans Hals collection and new creations by other contemporary artists.

This building is named after the Haarlem painter Kees Verwey, who died in 1995.

The oxheads on the gable are a reminder of the original function of the building: it was the only place in Haarlem where the sale of meat was permitted. Until 1840 the building was used for meat trading; now exhibitions are held here.

Frans Hals museum

The Frans Hals museum owes its name to one of the most famous artists of the 17th century, and boasts no less than eleven portraits and group portraits by this painter. However, the museum is predominantly an art museum, with an extensive collection.

Frans Hals is considered the first ‘modern’ artist who introduced a new realism to painting. At the age of 80 years he was still able to paint a great masterpiece.

Grote KerkGrote Kerk

The enormous Gothic Saint Bavo is also popularly known as the Grote Kerk (Main Church).

The church, built between 1400 and 1550, and its bell towers dominate the Grote Markt. The southern façade fronts on 17th-century houses and shops. Nowadays, you could suddenly find yourself entering one of the shops after walking through the church.