Hofje van Oorschot

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Hofje van Oorschot, view through the gate. Hofje van Oorschot in Haarlem.jpg
Hofje van Oorschot, view through the gate.

The Hofje van Oorschot is a hofje on the Kruisstraat 44 in Haarlem, Netherlands.

Hofje almshouses around a courtyard

A hofje is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages.

Haarlem City and municipality in North Holland, Netherlands

Haarlem is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland and is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. Haarlem had a population of 159,556 in 2017. It is a 15-minute train ride from Amsterdam, and many residents commute to the country's capital for work.

Netherlands Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Europe

The Netherlands is a country located mainly in Northwestern Europe. The European portion of the Netherlands consists of twelve separate provinces that border Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North Sea to the northwest, with maritime borders in the North Sea with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. Together with three island territories in the Caribbean Sea—Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba— it forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The official language is Dutch, but a secondary official language in the province of Friesland is West Frisian.

History

Rooftop poem and family shields of the Oorschot and Savarij families Hofje van Oorschot Poem.jpg
Rooftop poem and family shields of the Oorschot and Savarij families
View of the gate. Haarlem-Oorschot hofje-met hek.jpg
View of the gate.
David van Lennep's house across from the hofje. Kruisstraat Haarlem - house with the mermaids.jpg
David van Lennep's house across from the hofje.

This hofje was founded upon the death of the donor in 1768 (the date on the memorial plaque on the facade), but wasn't built until 1770, because of demands made by the neighbor on the other side of the street, David Van Lennep. He wanted an attractive view, and organized the commission of the monumental wrought-iron gate that exists today. The donor was Wouterus van Oorschot, a burger of Amsterdam who was born in Dordrecht. He founded the hofje on his death because of his Haarlem roots. His grandfather Levinus Savarij was buried in the St. Bavochurch in grave nr. 142. [1] The family shields of Oorschot and Savary are on display in the top of the facade of the main building, with a small poem which reads "Wouterus van Oorschot shows his love here for the poor and as an example to the rich; died 19 March 1768".

The hofje was built upon the grounds of the former Heilige Geesthuis, an old religious institution like the St. Elisabeth gasthuis that itself was a type of hofje. [1] The will and testament of Van Oorschot had not specified a location, and Van Lennep, himself in the city council, voted against the sale of the land to the hofje founders (executors of Van Oorschot's will). Once the deed was done, Van Lennep managed to have the gate installed, which effectively bars entry to the hofje from the street. [1]

Within the regent's room, the fireplace also has the family shields of Oorschot and Savary.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Kurtz, pp 135-139
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