Hofvijver
Encyclopedia
52°04′48.78"N 4°18′42.368"E
The Hofvijver is a small pond in the centre of The Hague
. It is adjoined in the east by the Korte Vijverberg (road), in the south by the Binnenhof
and the Mauritshuis
, in the west by the Buitenhof and in the north by the Lange Vijverberg (road). In the middle there is a small island with plants and trees which has no name, it is usually referred to as "the island in the Vijverberg".
(Hague Forest). The Haagse Beek still feeds the Hofvijver and so the pond is directly connected to the dunes in Kijkduin
.
In this dunelake there was an island (not the current island in the Hofvijver) on which William II built his palace in 1248. Other sources say he build his palace alongside the pond and created a moat around it. The file about Floris IV on Wikipedia suggests that around 1230 Floris bought the piece of land next to the pond to build a hunting residence. Fact is that in 1948 The Hague celebrated it's 700 years of existence, suggesting that the city itself places its origin on the building of the palace by Willem II in 1248.
Count Aalbrecht
decided on the rectangular shape in the 14th century. In the 17th century the Hofvijver got quays and in the 19th century it was elongated. up to around 1800 the Binnenhof was still encircled by a moat and was only accessible by bridges.
The island in the Vijverberg we know nowadays was only created around 300 years ago. How and when it was created is unknown. In the centre of the island stands a flagpole and the island itself counts a number of trees and small plants (no bushes). It is not open for the public. Alongside the island there is a fountain in the water. During demonstrations the island has been 'occupied' a couple of times and there have been banners displayed on the island.
On the bank across from the Binnenhof (Lange Vijverberg) there is a statue of Jantje (Little John) pointing to the Binnenhof. 'Jantje' probably refers to John I, Count of Holland
who died at the age of 15 years, and features in a well known Dutch children's song about The Hague.
Located next to the Vijverberg are several museums, like the Mauritshuis
, the Gevangenpoort (Prisongate), the Hague Historical Museum and the Gallery Prince William V.
The Hofvijver is a small pond in the centre of The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. It is adjoined in the east by the Korte Vijverberg (road), in the south by the Binnenhof
Binnenhof
The Binnenhof , is a complex of buildings in The Hague. It has been the location of meetings of the Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries....
and the Mauritshuis
Mauritshuis
The Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis is an art museum in The Hague, the Netherlands. Previously the residence of count John Maurice of Nassau, it now has a large art collection, including paintings by Dutch painters such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter and Frans...
, in the west by the Buitenhof and in the north by the Lange Vijverberg (road). In the middle there is a small island with plants and trees which has no name, it is usually referred to as "the island in the Vijverberg".
History
The term pond is actually a misrepresentation, the Hofvijver has its origin as a natural dunelake fed by the Haagse Beek (Hague Creek) (Originally: Dunecreek) and the, nowadays muted, Bosbeek (Forestcreek) from the Haagse BosHaagse Bos
Haagse Bos is an area and a forest in the centre of The Hague, Netherlands. It reaches from the Center of The Hague near Malieveld to the city of Wassenaar...
(Hague Forest). The Haagse Beek still feeds the Hofvijver and so the pond is directly connected to the dunes in Kijkduin
Kijkduin
Kijkduin is a seaside resort on the North Sea coast of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is one of the two seaside resorts of the city of The Hague, the other one being Scheveningen....
.
In this dunelake there was an island (not the current island in the Hofvijver) on which William II built his palace in 1248. Other sources say he build his palace alongside the pond and created a moat around it. The file about Floris IV on Wikipedia suggests that around 1230 Floris bought the piece of land next to the pond to build a hunting residence. Fact is that in 1948 The Hague celebrated it's 700 years of existence, suggesting that the city itself places its origin on the building of the palace by Willem II in 1248.
Count Aalbrecht
Albert I, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Albert I or Albrecht KG was a feudal ruler of the counties of Holland, Hainaut, and Zeeland in the Low Countries...
decided on the rectangular shape in the 14th century. In the 17th century the Hofvijver got quays and in the 19th century it was elongated. up to around 1800 the Binnenhof was still encircled by a moat and was only accessible by bridges.
The island in the Vijverberg we know nowadays was only created around 300 years ago. How and when it was created is unknown. In the centre of the island stands a flagpole and the island itself counts a number of trees and small plants (no bushes). It is not open for the public. Alongside the island there is a fountain in the water. During demonstrations the island has been 'occupied' a couple of times and there have been banners displayed on the island.
Present
Nowadays the Hofvijver is adjoined in the west by the Buitenhof, but until the 19the century that side was adjoined by houses. The pond is encircled by fairly high quays, but is very shallow on some points. In 2004 an underwater gate was built to make sure that nobody could swim to the prime minister without being detected. The workchamber, the 'Torentje' (Little Tower), adjoins the Hofvijver as it is located on the Binnenhof.On the bank across from the Binnenhof (Lange Vijverberg) there is a statue of Jantje (Little John) pointing to the Binnenhof. 'Jantje' probably refers to John I, Count of Holland
John I, Count of Holland
John I was Count of Holland and son of Count Floris V. John inherited the county in 1296 after the murder of his father....
who died at the age of 15 years, and features in a well known Dutch children's song about The Hague.
Located next to the Vijverberg are several museums, like the Mauritshuis
Mauritshuis
The Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis is an art museum in The Hague, the Netherlands. Previously the residence of count John Maurice of Nassau, it now has a large art collection, including paintings by Dutch painters such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter and Frans...
, the Gevangenpoort (Prisongate), the Hague Historical Museum and the Gallery Prince William V.