Een kleine geschiedenis

1248 (mid 13^th century) A royal palace for count William II 

William II was crowned King of the Romans in Germany. On his return, he had a 'coninclic palays' or royal palace built. The Binnenhof was born. His son Floris V later built the Ridderzaal. We are not clear exactly what the Binnenhof looked like at that time. The picture is therefore a reconstruction.

1428 The Zoen van Delft

The start of the fifteenth century: the counts of Holland had no successor. A long power struggle followed, among others involving the widow of the last count, Jacqueline of Bavaria, and Duke Philip of Burgundy. These wars were called the Hook and Cod wars. On 3 July 1428, this struggle came to an end in the form of a treaty: The Zoen van Delft. Jacqueline of Bavaria retained the title Countess of Holland, but Philip held the real power. He decided to turn the Binnenhof into a seat of jurisdiction.

1570 - 1580 A concentration of power

At the start of the Eighty Years’ War, the national government fled The Hague. In years that followed, they gradually returned to the Binnenhof. The States of Holland, the Court of Holland and the States-General were based there, along with the stadtholders. The Binnenhof thus became the centre of government for the entire Republic of the Seven United Netherlands.

1585 Stadtholder Maurice

In 1584, stadtholder William of Orange was murdered in Delft. He was succeeded by his son, stadtholder Prince Maurice of Orange-Nassau, who came to the Binnenhof. He had the Mauritstoren built on the Hofvijver lake. A tower building with five floors, something that was unknown at the time. He even lived in it himself.

1606 From vegetable garden to Plein

The vegetable garden and orchard on the east of the Binnenhof were replaced by an elegant square. Art collector Johan Maurits and scientist Constantijn Huygens had impressive houses built there. This side of the Binnenhof soon became a centre of knowledge and culture.

1619 Execution Van Oldenbarnevelt

State attorney Johan van Oldenbarnevelt got into a conflict with Prince Maurice. It literally cost him his head. On 13 May 1619, he was beheaded on the Binnenhof.

1672 Murder of the De Witt brothers

The second half of the seventeenth century was all about crisis and a political power struggle. The Seven Provinces and stadtholder William III were frequently opposed to each other. In the crisis year of 1672, the British and the French invaded the Netherlands. At this point, the political struggle also came to a head. The De Witt brothers, who played important roles for the provinces, were dragged out of the Gevangenpoort and were murdered and mutilated on the Plaats. It was never known whether Stadtholder William III had ordered their murder.

1697 Trêveszaal

The States-General of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands commissioned the construction of the Trêveszaal. A stately hall where envoys could be welcomed in a suitable manner. From 1815 to 1849, it was the meeting hall for the Senate. In the 1970s, the Prime Minister and his Ministry of General Affairs moved into this part of the Binnenhof. Since 1977, this is where meetings of the Council of Ministers take place. 

1756 Stargazing from the Mauritstoren

In 1756, everyone in Europe was mesmerised by the predicted return of a comet. Court physicist Samuel Koenig had an observatory built on the Mauritstoren. The Stadtholder's observatory was demolished in 1870, after more than a century of service.

1795 - 1813 Batavian-French Era

During the French occupation, the Binnenhof was transformed into a military barracks. In the Ridderzaal, orphans and abandoned children were billeted and trained to become soldiers. When the French left, the Dutch government continued this policy for a while.

1815-1830 United Kingdom of the Netherlands

After the French occupation, the current Benelux became one country: the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, governed by King Willliam I. The government was based in The Hague for one year, in Brussels the next. This situation came to an end with the Belgian Revolution of 1830.

1904 King's speech in the Ridderzaal

The King's speech was always given in the meeting hall of the House of Representatives. From 1904, the head of state gave the speech in the (recently renovated) Ridderzaal.

1940 - 1945 German occupation

Less than three weeks after the beginning of the German invasion, the occupiers entered the Binnenhof. On 29 May 1940, State Commissioner Seyss-Inquart gave his inaugural address in the Ridderzaal. This day is known as 'Brown Prince's Day'.

1956 More seats in House of Representatives

In 1956, the number of members of the House of Representatives expanded from 100 to 150. The expansion caused quite a squeeze on the benches. Instead of two members, three members of parliament needed a seat.

1982 Torentje

Over the centuries, the famous Torentje tower played many roles, from fortification and inn to wine cellar. In 1982, Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers chose the Torentje as his office. Since then, this has been the Prime Minister's permanent office.

1992 New building for the House of Representatives

The Binnenhof was getting too small for its occupants. A new building was built for the House of Representatives, including the plenary hall as we now know it. The Statenpassage also dates from this extensive refurbishment.

2016 Renovation

For 800 years, the Binnenhof had continued to adapt to the wishes and requirements of the time. 2016 saw the launch of the programme for a large-scale renovation to make the Binnenhof ready for the future. From the summer of 2021, the occupants moved to temporary locations in the city.

Multifunctional historical monument

1248: William II was crowned King of the Romans. That required a royal hall. This became the later Ridderzaal. Over the centuries, this hall has played multiple roles. A court, a stately reception area, a military barracks, a market hall and location for lottery draws. In the nineteenth century, the hall was even used as an archive...