Frans
Hals Museum
The Frans Hals Museum was established in a former old people's home - the
fourth important building by Lieven de Key in Haarlem (1608) - at Groot
Heiligland 62 in 1913, when the municipal art collection was transferred
here from the Town Hall. It now occupies a leading position among the art
galleries of the Netherlands, giving a predominant place to the work of
Haarlem artists.
Statue in Grote Kerk Müller Organ
The Grote Kerk has one of the great organs of the world, built by
Christian Müller in 1735-38, with a monumental organ-case by the
woodcarver and sculptor Jan van Logteren. Over the years the bellows, the
mechanics and the keys of the organ have been frequently overhauled and
adapted to the musical taste of the time. It has three manuals, 68 stops
and 5,000 pipes, the largest of which is 10m/33ft long, with a diameter of
40cm/16in. Both for its acoustic qualities and its rich decoration it
ranks among the world's finest organs. Among those who have played the
organ are Handel and Mozart and, in more recent times, Albert Schweitzer.
In July of alternate years an international organ competition is held in
the town.
Meat Hall
On the south side of the Grote Markt stands the Vleeshal (Meat Hall),
built in 1602-03 by Lieven de Key to house both the municipal
slaughterhouse and the butchers' guild, which ranks as the finest work of
the whole Northern Renaissance. It is now an annex of the Frans Hals
Museum.
Town
Hall
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.
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Frans
Hals Museum
Town
Hall
