Castle De Haar - Haarzuilens - The Netherlands
N 52° 07.315 E 004° 59.216
31U E 636026 N 5776460
De Haar Castle on Kasteellaan 1 in Haarzuilens.
Waymark Code: WM121ND
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Date Posted: 02/03/2020
Views: 26
De Haar Castle (formerly Het Huys in Haer) is a monumental castle in the Utrecht village of Haarzuilens. It is the largest castle in the Netherlands. It was built in 1892 on the ruins of the old castle in neo-gothic style.
De Haar consists of a large area in which, besides the main building, there are, among other things, associated gardens and buildings such as a chapel. The neighboring village also has a strong relationship with the castle and the whole is covered by a protected townscape.
History
First centuries
It is not possible to say with certainty how the first buildings looked exactly. Presumably it was a fortified residential tower on a moat plot, built in the 12th century.
The oldest mention, a deed, dates from 1391. [2] At the time, Boekel van de Haar got the house on loan from Hendrik van Vianen. The castle then consisted of no more than a fortified residential tower. This tower was built on a ridge along a dead arm of the river Rhine. The name is derived from the Urmerian * Haru, sandy ridge. [3] The castle expanded over the years. Due to the marriage of Yosina van de Haar to Dirk van Zuylen van Harmelen, the castle came into the possession of the Van Zuylen family in 1449.
After repeated attacks and devastation, including in 1482 during the Hoekse and Cod disputes [4] by the pro-Burgundian Cods, the castle was constantly restored and expanded until the last occupant died. Damage was also caused in 1674 by a storm that also damaged the Dom Church in Utrecht.
The castle and the associated lands and rights remained in the Catholic branch of the Van Zuylen van Nyevelt family, part of which had settled in the Southern Netherlands and more specifically in Bruges. The last owner from the Northern Netherlands, the bachelor Anton-Martinus van Zuylen van Nijevelt (1708-1801), designated his legatee the mayor of Bruges and member of parliament Jean-Jacques van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1752-1846). Although he and his heirs continued to maintain ties with their Dutch property, it was not inhabited again and fell into decline. At the end of the 19th century, nothing more than a romantic ruin remained.
Rebuilding from 1892
In 1890, baron Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar (1860-1934) inherited the castle ruins from his father Gustave van Zuylen (1818-1890). On 16 August 1887, Étienne was married in Paris to Baroness Hélène de Rothschild (1863-1947), an heiress from the French branch of the rich banker family De Rothschild. Partly thanks to her fortune, Étienne had the means to have the ancestral castle rebuilt in a grandiose way.
For the rebuilding of the castle, the famous architect Pierre Cuypers was engaged, who worked in close collaboration with his son Joseph Cuypers for twenty years (from 1892 to 1912). The "preliminary initiation" took place on July 3, 1893. The reconstruction was then so far advanced that the flags fluttered from the spiers and some of the halls could also be displayed furnished.
Although the Baron and Baroness never intended to permanently inhabit the castle, it was provided with all the conveniences that were available in Europe at the end of the 19th century. The castle had to become very comfortable in order to be able to receive guests in a grand way at least in the late summer, in August and September. For Dutch standards, the design of the castle with these modern gadgets was astonishing. There was electric lighting with its own generator, and central heating using a low-pressure steam system. This installation has since been internationally recognized as an industrial monument. The kitchen was also very modern for that period and still has a large collection of copper pots and pans and a huge stove from the Drouet company, about six meters long, which was fired with coal. The tiles in the kitchen are equipped with the family crest of the Van de Haar and Van Zuylen families; the tiles were specially baked at the Van Hulst firm in Harlingen.
The châtelet was rebuilt around 1911: a storey was placed on a part of the building, to house the eldest son Hélin who had reached adulthood. After his death as a result of a fatal accident in 1912, this space was taken into use by his brother as a workspace. Since this renovation, no major renovations have been carried out on the complex.
During the Second World War the family lived in exile in New York. Shortly after the liberation a military commission station was established at the castle, which, among other things, arranged the return of refugees.
After the war, the tradition of 'September habitation' was continued. The grandson of Étienne and Hélène, Thierry van Zuylen of Nyevelt van de Haar, stayed at the castle every September with his family and staff. It was then not accessible to the public. The family did not stay in the castle itself, but in the châtelet. This building, which is separate from the castle, was intended as a technical room and shelter for staff during the renovation. Nevertheless, it is richly decorated in the same style as the castle. It is not open to the public, except for a one-off opening from March to May 2015, following a major restoration. [9]
New owners
De Haar Castle is no longer the property of the Van Zuylen family. In 2000, the castle and the immediately surrounding park (55 hectares) became the property of Stichting Kasteel De Haar. The Haarzuilens estate (350 ha) came into the possession of the Natuurmonumenten Association. Only the châtelet remained the property of the family. [10] However, the family still respects the tradition of September habitation, they reserve the right to inhabit the castle that month.
The Van Zuylen family initially remained the owner of the furniture and art collection and lent it to the Foundation for a period of 30 years. But after the death of Thierry van Zuylen in 2011, his daughters were of the opinion that a definitive arrangement was preferable. In 2012 an agreement was signed whereby the Kasteel De Haar Foundation became the owner of the entire art collection in the castle.
The collection consists of a large number of valuable objects and collections, such as carpets, paintings, silverware, livery, etc. The value of the collection is estimated at more than 10 million euros.
Stichting Kasteel De Haar was able to raise the acquisition amount through the support and cooperation of, among others, BankGiro Loterij, Vereniging Rembrandt, VSBfonds, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, K.F. Heinfonds, Mondriaan Fonds, Stichting Nationaal Fonds Kunstbezit, SNS REAAL Fonds, M.A.O.C. Countess van Bylandt Foundation and the Municipality and Province of Utrecht. With the transfer of the collection to the Foundation, it was achieved that it is fully preserved within the castle.
Interior
The interior of the castle is very richly decorated in 'eclectic style' where the main part is designed in the neo-gothic style. The sculpture in sand-lime brick, the joinery in mainly oak, the painted and stenciled decorations, the stained glass and forgings were made by hand in the workshops of Cuypers in Roermond or by specialists with whom Cuypers had previously worked.
The interior of the Central Hall, with its gothic windows, rosettes, pinnacles and large statues, is reminiscent of the interior of a Catholic church. Not surprising because Cuypers designed dozens of churches in neo-gothic style, and in addition, Etienne had specifically asked for a central hall in 'style cathédrale'.
In addition to the firm decorations in the castle and the outbuildings, Cuypers also designed a number of 'moveable items', such as furniture, the dining table with matching chairs and serving tables, tables and chairs, reversing benches, a secretaire, a cathedral and a silver cutlery specially equipped with the family arms. The castle, the outbuildings, the gates, bridges and the park layout as well as the furniture can be seen together as a unique ensemble.
In the castle there are only a few references to the Jewish origins of the De Rothschild family, including the David stars on the beams of the knights 'hall and the family crest, the hand with the five arrows above the door between the knights' hall and the library.
The references to the Van de Haar and Van Zuylen families are much more numerous. The coats of arms and the alliance weapons can be found everywhere in the interior. The decorative motifs regularly feature the column (Van Zuylen) or the diamond shape (Van de Haar). On the mantelpiece in the Ridderzaal are the currencies of the Van Zuylen and Van de Haar families: 'A majoribus et virtute' and 'Non Titubans', to be translated as: "Do not hesitate in greatness and virtue".
The richly decorated rooms also feature a colorful collection of art objects, antique Chinese and Japanese earthenware, three top-quality 16th-century tapestries, a 17th-century tapestry with a folk scene after David Teniers cardboard and various paintings and panels with religious images. A special piece in the Netherlands is a carriage of the court of one of the last shoguns from Japan. Many Japanese tourists come to De Haar to see just this carriage and the Imari porcelain.
Park and gardens
The park and gardens surround the castle. These were designed by the landscape architect Hendrik Copijn in close collaboration with Pierre Cuypers. Because Baron Etienne immediately wanted to enjoy a mature park, he had around 7000 mature trees supplied and planted in the park in the making around 1895. [11] The trees were transported to De Haar on mallejans to be replanted. [12] Legends exist around the entire exercise. Among other things, that a baron in the center of Utrecht was even bought and demolished by order of the baron, so that his trees could take 'the difficult turn' easier.
The park is laid out in English landscape style, with water features, tree groups, romantic paths, bridges and vistas. The formal gardens around the castle are said to have been inspired by the gardens of Versailles. These consist of a boxwood garden or palm garden with berceau (laid out in 1919), a Roman garden and a rose garden. During the Second World War, unlike the castle, the gardens were neglected because they needed the land to grow vegetables and the wood was used as fuel. After the war, the gardens were restored to their former glory. At the beginning of the 21st century, a major restoration of the park and gardens was undertaken, partly going back to Copijn's original designs, partly adapted to the wishes of the time, little labor-intensive and suitable for holding events.
The village of Haarzuilens
When the baron and baroness visited the ruin in 1891, they found a village in the immediate vicinity of the castle: the old Haarzuilens. At the site of the present Roman garden, south of the castle, was a green with a village pump and various houses, an inn and farms. In addition, several farms were scattered. With great difficulty, the baron found all owners willing to sell their house and land. He built new homes for them one kilometer to the east. The new Haarzuilens, for example, was built with three hospitality licenses, a town hall, green, etc. where the inhabitants lived as tenants of the castle lord. Later, the lands partly became the property of Natuurmonumenten.
The original name of Haarzuilens is De Haar. At the end of the 14th century the castle and the glory with this name are mentioned for the first time; however, they are probably a few centuries older. On January 1, 1812, this area became part of the municipality of Vleuten for a short time. De Haar became independent again on January 1, 1818; a municipality of Haarzuilens was formed from the former dishes De Haar, Themaat, Themaat Engsgerecht and De Hegge op Themaat. This municipality existed until January 1, 1954. In the context of a municipal reorganization around the city of Utrecht, a new municipality Vleuten-De Meern was formed. This also included Haarzuilens. On January 1, 2001, this municipality, and therefore Haarzuilens, was added to the municipality of Utrecht. However, Haarzuilens has retained its official residence status, both in 1954 and in 2001.
Haarzuilens is best known for its castle. Originally the village was closer to the castle. In 1898, except for the ruined church, Haarzuilens was demolished to make way for the new castle gardens. At the current location, about 1 km to the east than the old one, a new Haarzuilens was erected, largely designed by architect Pierre Cuypers, who was also responsible for the rebuilding of the castle. Like the old, the new village was set up as a green village. Due to all construction activities in and around the castle, the size of the village doubled.
Since the relocation and reconstruction in 1898, the core of Haarzuilens has not changed much. The buildings around the Brink are still present. In the period 1950 to 1970 there was limited new construction, largely out of sight of the Brink.
There are various national monuments in Haarzuilens. De Brink and its immediate surroundings form a protected townscape.
The weapon
The colors of the Van Zuylen family are red and white. The weapon consists of three red columns on a white field. The various branches of this family have variants of these colors. This weapon lives on not only in the colors of the castle, but also in almost all of Haarzuilens' homes, even in recent new-build homes.
Accessibility: Partial access
Condition: Intact
Admission Charge?: yes
Website: [Web Link]
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