Hofje van Oorschot
Encyclopedia
The Hofje van Oorschot is a hofje
on the Kruisstraat 44 in Haarlem
, Netherlands
.
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. 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.
Within the regent's room, the fireplace also has the family shields of Oorschot and Savary.
Hofje
A hofje is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages.A hofje provided housing for elderly people . They were privately funded, and served as a form of social security...
on the Kruisstraat 44 in Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
History
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. 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. 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.
Within the regent's room, the fireplace also has the family shields of Oorschot and Savary.