Doopsgezinde Weeshuis, Haarlem

Doopsgezinde Weeshuis
Imposing front of the Mennonite orphanage, today converted to archives of the city of Haarlem
General information
Type	orphanage
Architectural style	neo-classical
Location	Haarlem
Address	Kleine Houtweg 18
Coordinates	Coordinates: 52°22′29.42″N 4°38′3.63″E / 52.3748389°N 4.6343417°E
Completed	1874
Design and construction
Architect	A. van der Linden

The Doopsgezinde Weeshuis is a former orphanage in Haarlem. The complex was designed by A. van der Linden to replace the old orphanage located at the Klein Heiligland 58, which had been in use since 1634.

History

Former Mennonite orphanage on the Klein Heiligland, nr. 58. The keystone is new, and the original is in the Doopsgezinde kerk, Haarlem.

The building had running water, which was new, and two large meeting rooms for the regents, one for the 4 regents, and one for the 4 regentesses. Once a year they would dine there, and once a year all the orphans of Haarlem would be treated to buns on Pieter Teyler van der Hulst's birthday, as stipulated in his will and testament. Jan Adam Kruseman painted the large group portrait of the regents, featuring a few of the orphans wearing their habitual Mennonite orphan dress (the city orphans had one red sleeve and one blue sleeve, but Mennonite orphans wore brown).

In 1939 the building was confiscated for military purposes and the orphanage moved to Baan 25. Under german rule it became a works council, and in 1983 the archives moved here. The regent rooms have remained largely intact.

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  Detail of Kruseman's painting featuring the orphans

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  Old key chest in one of the regent's rooms.

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  Regent's room, now a meeting room

Dutch Rijksmonument 19448

References

• History on website of the North Holland archives