Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Courtyard with
Wall Plaques
Set into the wall of the
courtyard behind Het
Houten Huis is a
remarkable collection of
wall plaques salvaged
from demolished
houses. In keeping with
the religious nature of
the Beguines, each one
tells a Biblical story.
9
Mother
Superior's House
The grandest house, No.
26, belonged to the
Mother Superior (above) .
In the 20th century, the
last of the Beguines lived
together here.
6
5
8
1
2
7
3
4
0
Plan of the Begijnhof
17th- and 18th-
Century Houses
After several devastating
fires, most of the existing
houses were built in the
17th and 18th centuries.
They are typically tall and
narrow, with large sash
windows and spout or
neck gables. They were
the property of the sister-
hood, so if a Beguine left
or died, outsiders could
not claim her house. Today
they provide homes for
100 or so single women.
The Welfare
System
Charity lies at the heart
of Amsterdam's long
tradition of caring for the
poor and needy, which
goes back to the Middle
Ages and continues to
the present day. In the
14th century, primary
responsibility for social
welfare passed from the
church to the city author-
ities. They distributed
food to the poor, and set
up institutions to care for
orphans, the sick and the
insane. In the 17th
century, a number of
wealthy merchants
funded almshouses -
hofjes - providing sub-
sidized mass housing.
Some of these hofjes are
still used for their original
purpose today.
Statue of a
Beguine
The statue shows a
Beguine dressed in her
traditional falie
(headdress) and long
garment of undyed cloth.
Wall Plaque on
No. 19
This handsome plaque
(above) illustrates the
return from Egypt to
Israel of Jesus, Mary
and Joseph after the
death of Herod.
The Beguine in
the Gutter
To make amends for her
family's conversion to
Protestantism, Cornelia
Arents requested in her
will not to be buried in
the church, but in the
gutter outside. Her coffin
was left inside the
church on 2 May 1654,
but the following day it
had miraculously moved
outside, where she was
eventually buried. A
plaque marks the spot.
Spui Entrance
Members of the
public use the arched
entrance from Gedempte
Begijnensloot, but be
sure to peep discreetly
into the pretty vaulted
and tiled passageway
leading to Spui.
For more on hofjes See p92
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