Scares in Dutch city jail

Halloween is just around the corner and that means we are once again on the lookout for creepy Dutch places! In our scavenger hunt we ended up at historic city prisons, among other places. In the Middle Ages it was better to stay far away from these. Some of these prisons have been preserved and can be visited as museums, but other historical prisons have been given a different function. In this blog we look at old city prisons that you can visit as museums.

Prison sentences

Imprisonment as a punishment has actually only existed since 1830. Before then, people were imprisoned, but often for short periods of time. The Vierschaar, the forerunner of the court as we know it today, met 4 times a year (every season) to decide the fate of the prisoners. Did they receive a fine or a disgraceful punishment? Were they banished from the city? Or was it a corporal or capital punishment? The punishment was carried out immediately after the verdict. Life and death sentences were very popular among the Dutch population. There was not much entertainment in those days, so when someone was punished publicly, everyone wanted to be there. The greater the misery, the more fun people had. They even took their children with them! Here are some still existing prisons from the past that you can visit.

The Gevangenpoort in The Hague

The Hague, when the Netherlands was still a Republic, was the main political center of Holland. The Counts of Holland settled in the present Binnenhof, which was secured by the so-called Voorpoort. From 1428 this gate became a prison and the name changed to the Gevangenpoort. It remained so for no less than 4 centuries. Important and unimportant Dutch citizens ended up here for the most diverse crimes. Ordinary citizens shared a cell with up to 20 others, while important citizens were given their own rooms. However, the tortures they had to endure were the same for everyone. Earlier we wrote a blog about this special location. You can read the blog here.

Gravensteen in Zierikzee

If you are in Zeeland, it is definitely worth visiting the Town Hall Museum and the adjacent Gravensteen. Gravensteen dates back to 1524 and the old cells are particularly well preserved. The names of some prisoners are even still carved into the wooden walls! Famous prisoners such as the Dunkirk privateers and Jan Rap have bivouacked between the walls. The Dunkirk privateers were very active at sea during the Eighty Years’ War. These “pirates” were a danger to the VOC, among others. Captured privateers received the harshest punishments. Jan Rap (nickname for Jan Machielse van der Made) stabbed an underboss in the leg with a knife. The man did not survive this making Van der Made suddenly a cop killer. His death sentence was commuted to branding and exile, but because he did not comply, he still lost his head 10 years later. Gravensteen remained a house of detention until 1923.

Het Steen in Delft

Stadsgevangenis Het Steen in Delft was given this name because it was the only stone building in Delft during the Middle Ages. The beautiful historic city hall was later attached to this tower. The most famous prisoner of Het Steen is Balthasar Gerards: the man who shot William of Orange. Gerards was horribly tortured, not because he did not immediately confess to the murder, but because it was thought that he had an accomplice. The torture took place in the basement of city prison Het Steen. Unfortunately, that room has not been preserved, but the cells at the top of the tower can still be visited! During school vacations, you can take a guided tour for a small fee. Tickets are available at the Delft tourist office (at the train station). Read The Little Walk of Horrors blog to learn more about this special place.

The Gevangenpoort in Bergen op Zoom

The historic Gevangenpoort in Bergen op Zoom is an exciting and interesting outing for young and old. You would almost forget that terrible things happened here in this city prison in the past! Also known as the Lievevrouwepoort, the old prison is the oldest building in the city. It was built as early as the 14th century. The city jail served until 1931 and here too you can still find the names of the prisoners in the walls. Guided tours can be booked and it even houses an exciting escaperoom!

City Prison Enkhuizen

Next to Enkhuizen’s town hall you will find the historic city prison. The oldest part of the prison dates from 1592. That Enkhuizen’s Stadsgevangenis is also next to the Town Hall is no coincidence. The Vierschaar was often based in the Town Hall (or met there) and the scaffold was also often built there. So it was not the case that the scaffold was displayed by default, it was really only done when someone was punished.

Other city prisons

Earlier you could read that it was no coincidence that prisons were located near a city hall. Sometimes they were even located IN the city hall. So you can find city prisons in the city hall of Haarlem, of Dordrecht, of Nijmegen and even in the Palace on Dam Square, which had the function of city hall before it became a palace. Want to visit these city prisons? Then you can often only do so in combination with a city tour or on certain days. The Palace on Dam Square is open daily, unless our king is receiving visitors. You will also find a Four Courts and a tribunal. Was someone found guilty there? Then the verdict was immediately executed on Dam Square. Right, where the pigeons always happily beg for food. That reminds you!

Photos: The Little Walk of Horrors