History
Before the construction of the town hall, the Municipal council of Maastricht would gather in two other buildings at the former Sint-Jorisstraat (Grote Staat). The urban high jurisprudence took place at the nearby Dinghuis at the end of the Kleine Staat. On rare occasions the Cloth hall on the Markt would be used by the city council.
Because of the Condominium of Maastricht the governance and jurisdiction of the city was a matter of both the Duchy of Brabant and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège as early as the 13th century. From the Capture of Maastricht by Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange in 1632 the States General of the Netherlands (1464-1796) took over those rights of the Duchy of Brabant.
Construction of the town hall
There had been plans for a new town hall on the Markt in the late 16th century but because of the Eighty Years' War these did not came to fruition. In 1655 the city council gave the task of the construction to Pieter Post, the apprentice of Jacob van Campen, a architect of great renown and designer of the palaces of the House of Orange-Nassau. The choice of the in North Holland born Pieter Post as architect can be seen as sign of the increasing influence of the States General of the Netherlands in Maastricht. The decision was made to place the new town hall in the centre of the Markt this was against the wishes of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. For this plan two houses as well as the Cloth hall, the Belfry and a part of the city wall including two of its gates had to be demolished. Because of these alterations to the Markt it gained a almost squared shape, but because of the refusal of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège to take down the two houses the site had to be moved.
Construction finally started in 1659 commemorated by the laying of the first stone by representatives of both sides of the condominium, they also buried a lead cannister with coins and a copper commemorative plaque at the south-west corner of the building. After a few changes made by Cornelis Pesser, the master builder put in charge by Pieter Post, and some delays the municipal council moved in in 1664.
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is bordered by Gelderland to the north and by North Brabant to its west. Its long eastern boundary forms the international border with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. To the west is the international border with the similarly named Belgian province of Limburg, part of which is delineated by the river Meuse. The Vaalserberg is on the extreme southeastern point, marking the tripoint of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.
Maastricht is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the Meuse, at the point where the Jeker joins it. Mount Saint Peter (Sint-Pietersberg) is largely situated within the city's municipal borders. Maastricht is adjacent to the border with Belgium and is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, an international metropolis with a population of about 3.9 million, which includes the nearby German and Belgian cities of Aachen, Liège and Hasselt.
Jan van Ruysbroeck was a Flemish architect of the early 15th century. He served as official architect to the Duke of Brabant. His best known work was the tower of Brussels' Town Hall. The Gothic building, which stands in the city's Grand-Place, is widely regarded as a masterpiece of medieval European secular architecture. It was designed by Jacob van Thienen some time around 1402 and van Ruysbroek's tower was added between 1444 and 1463.
The Generality Lands, Lands of the Generality or Common Lands were about one fifth of the territories of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, that were directly governed by the States-General. Unlike the seven provinces of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel, Friesland and Groningen, these territories had no States-Provincial and were not represented in the central government. At the time of the Union of Utrecht, these territories were under Spanish control, and would only be conquered by the Dutch Republic later in the war. From an economic point of view, they were exploited with heavy taxes and levies. As one author puts it:
"Back in the Dutch lap, these so-called Generality lands were for a long time governed as a sort of internal colonies, in which Catholics were seen as second-class citizens."
Hendrick de Keyser was a Dutch sculptor, merchant in Belgium bluestone, and architect who was instrumental in establishing a late Renaissance form of Mannerism changing into Baroque. Most of his works appeared in Amsterdam, some elsewhere in the Dutch Republic. He was the father of Pieter and Thomas de Keyser and Willem, and the uncle of Huybert de Keyser, who became his apprentices and all involved in building, decoration and architecture.
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The Town Hall of Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, is a landmark building on that city's Grote Markt, across from the monumental St. Peter's Church. Built in a Brabantine Late Gothic style between 1439 and 1469, it is famous for its ornate architecture, crafted in lace-like detail.
The Town Hall of the City of Brussels is a landmark building and the seat of the City of Brussels municipality of Brussels, Belgium. It is located on the south side of the famous Grand-Place/Grote Markt, opposite the neo-Gothic King's House or Bread House building, housing the Brussels City Museum.
Pieter Hemony and his brother François Hemony were the greatest bellfounders in the history of the Low Countries. They developed the carillon, in collaboration with Jacob van Eyck, into a full-fledged musical instrument by casting the first tuned carillon in 1644.
The City Hall of Antwerp, Belgium, stands on the western side of that city's Grote Markt. Erected between 1561 and 1565, after designs made by Cornelis Floris de Vriendt and several other architects and artists, this Renaissance building incorporates both Flemish and Italian influences. The building is listed as one of the Belfries of Belgium and France, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pieter Jansz Post was a Dutch Golden Age architect, painter and printmaker.
Dutch architecture has played an important role in the international discourse on architecture in three eras. The first of these was during the 17th century, when the Dutch empire was at the height of its power. The second was in the first half of the 20th century, during development of modernism. The third is not concluded and involves many contemporary Dutch architects who are achieving global prestige.
Mosan Renaissance also known, at least in French, as the Mosan style, is a regional architectural style dating from the 16th to 18th centuries. The style is related to Renaissance architecture, but with very limited classical influence; it has been described as "voluntarily anachronistic". The term should not be confused with Mosan art, which applies to Romanesque art and architecture during the Middle Ages in the region of the Meuse river valley.
The Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof is a museum of photography in Maastricht, Netherlands.
Brabantine Gothic, occasionally called Brabantian Gothic, is a significant variant of Gothic architecture that is typical for the Low Countries. It surfaced in the first half of the 14th century at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in the City of Mechelen.
The City Hall in Delft is a Renaissance style building on the Markt across from the Nieuwe Kerk. It is the seat of the city's government as well as a popular venue for civic wedding ceremonies. Most administrative functions have been transferred to an office inside the Delft railway station building. Originally designed by the Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser, it was heavily changed over the centuries and was restored in the 20th century to its Renaissance appearance.
The Wars of Liège were a series of three rebellions by the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, in the town of Liège in modern-day Belgium, against the expanding Burgundian State between 1465 and 1468. On each occasion, the rebels were defeated by Burgundian forces commanded by Charles the Bold and the city was twice burned to the ground.
A perron is kind of stone column, often decorated with a cross-bearing orb common to many towns and cities belonging to the erstwhile Prince-Bishopric of Liège (980-1795) in modern-day Belgium. They were primarily built in the so-called Good Cities that formed the primary urban settlements in the polity. Many survive, although not in their original form. Perrons were also built in the smaller Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy.
The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Maastricht, Netherlands.
Vrijthof is a large urban square in the centre of Maastricht, Netherlands. The square developed from an ancient Roman and Frankish cemetery into a semi-private space that belonged to the Collegiate Church of Saint Servatius. In the 19th century, it became the town's main square. It is surrounded by important heritage buildings, museums, a theatre, and a range of hotels, restaurants, and bars. The square is regularly used for public events.
