| "Het Hof" in Dordrecht. |
 An Augustine monastery was built on the present site of the “Hofcomplex” between 1275 and 1293. This building was a gift to the Order of Augustinian friars from Count Floris V of Holland. The “Statenzaal” was the refectory, the anteroom to the Statenzaal was the kitchen and the “Groene Zaal” upstairs was the dormitory. The “Hofcomplex” has served many purposes over the centuries. The city council met there, it was used as a court and many banquets and receptions were held there for important visitors from both home and abroad.Karel V, Philips II and the Duke of Alva were all guests at the monastery. William of Orange and the Count of Leicester even lived there for a while. On the initiative of Dordrecht the first “Vrije Statenvergadering” was held in the Statenzaal in 1572. 12 towns denounced Philips II and recognised William of Orange as their sovereign. This was the beginning of the State of the Netherlands. The coats-of-arms of the 12 towns can be seen in the stained glass windows in the Statenzaal. In 1585 the monastery was renovated and made more fitting for Royalty. Prince Maurits and Prince Frederik Hendrik, both sons of William of Orange, set up their headquarters here during the war against Spain. After the renovation the monastery was named “Prinsenhof “and was popularly called the “Hof”. The Hof was an important meeting place for the negotiations with Spain but after 1648 it quickly became much less important. In 1835 Dordrecht City Council bought the complex but did not really know what to do with it. They even considered breaking it down completely in the 1960s as the buildings were in such a bad state. Fortunately they eventually decided to restore the complex. This restoration took place between 1969 and 1972. |
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