A city of southwest Netherlands southeast of The Hague. Chartered in 1246, it is noted for its fine pottery, which has been produced here since the 16th century. Population: 95,400.
Delft
Dictionary:
Delft (dĕlft)  |
A city of southwest Netherlands southeast of The Hague. Chartered in 1246, it is noted for its fine pottery, which has been produced here since the 16th century. Population: 95,400.
| 5min Related Video: Delft |
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Delft |
For more information on Delft, visit Britannica.com.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Delft |
Delft (dĕlft), city (1994 pop. 91,941), South Holland prov., W Netherlands. It has varied industries and is noted for its ceramics (china, tiles, and pottery) known as delftware. Founded in the 11th cent. and chartered in 1246, Delft was an important commercial center until superseded (17th cent.) by Rotterdam. The aspect of old Delft has changed little since Jan Vermeer, who was born and lived there (17th cent.), painted his famous View of Delft. The city's notable buildings include a 13th-century Gothic church (Oude Kerk); the Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (15th cent.), with the tombs of William the Silent, who was assassinated in Delft, and the humanist Hugo Grotius, who was born there; and the 17th-century town hall. Delft has a technical university.
| Dialing Code: The telephone dialing code for: Delft, Netherlands |
The country code is: 31
The city code is: 15
| Wikipedia: Delft |
See also: Delft, Cape Town, Delft Island
Coordinates: 52°00′54″N 4°21′24″E / 52.015°N 4.35667°E
| Delft | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Municipality — | |||
|
|||
 |
|||
| Coordinates: 52°0′54″N 4°21′24″E / 52.015°N 4.35667°E | |||
| Country | Netherlands | ||
| Province | South Holland | ||
| Area (2006) | |||
| - Total | 24.08 km2 (9.3 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 23.21 km2 (9 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 0.87 km2 (0.3 sq mi) | ||
| Population (1 January 2008) | |||
| - Total | 96,168 | ||
| - Density | 4,180/km2 (10,826.2/sq mi) | ||
| Source: CBS, Statline. | |||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Delft (
pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland (Zuid-Holland), the Netherlands. It is located in between Rotterdam and The Hague. Delft is primarily known for its typically Dutch town centre (with canals); also for the painter Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery (Delftware), the Delft University of Technology, and its association with the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.
Contents |
History
The city dates from the 13th century. It received its charter in 1246.
The association of the House of Orange with Delft began when William of Orange (Willem van Oranje), nicknamed William the Silent (Willem de Zwijger), took up residence in 1572. William was the leader at the time in the struggle against the Spanish, the Eighty Years' War.
Delft was one of the leading cities of Holland and was equipped with the necessary city walls to serve as a headquarters. When William was shot to death in 1584 by Balthazar Gerards in the hall of the Prinsenhof, the family's traditional burial place in Breda was in the hands of the Spanish. Therefore, he was buried in the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), starting a tradition for the House of Orange that has continued to the present day.
Delft Explosion
A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654
The Delft Explosion, also known in history as the Delft Thunderclap, occurred on 12 October 1654 when a gunpowder store exploded, destroying much of the city. Over a hundred people were killed and thousands wounded.
About 30 tonnes of gunpowder were stored in barrels in a magazine in a former Clarissen convent in the Doelenkwartier district. Cornelis Soetens, the keeper of the magazine, opened the store to check a sample of the powder and a huge explosion followed. Luckily, many citizens were away, visiting a market in Schiedam or a fair in The Hague. Artist Carel Fabritius was wounded in the explosion and died of his injuries. Afterward, Egbert van der Poel painted several pictures of Delft showing the devastation.
Sights
.jpg)
The city center retains many old and historical buildings, and many streets have canals in the center, inhabited by fish and plants making this beautiful small city a tourist destination. Historical buildings include:
- Oude Kerk (Old Church). Buried here: Piet Hein, Johannes Vermeer, Anthony van Leeuwenhoek.
- Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), constructed between 1381 and 1496. It contains the Dutch royal family's burial vault, which between funerals is sealed with a 5000 kg cover stone.
- The Prinsenhof (Princes' Court), now a museum.
- City Hall.
- The Oostpoort (Eastern gate), built around 1400. This is the only remaining gate of the old city walls.
- The Gemeenlandshuis or Huyterhuis, built in 1505, which houses the regional water authority Delfland since 1645.
- Waag (Delft)
Culture
Delft is well known for the Delft pottery ceramic products which were styled on the imported Chinese porcelain of the 17th century. The city had an early start in this area since it was a home port of the Dutch East India Company.
The painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) was born in Delft. Vermeer used Delft streets and home interiors as the subject or background of his paintings.
Several other famous painters lived and worked in Delft at that time, such as Pieter de Hoogh, Carel Fabritius, Nicolaes Maes, Gerard Houckgeest and Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet. They all were members of the Delft School. The Delft School is known for its images of domestic life, views of households, church interiors, courtyards, squares and the streets of Delft. The painters also produced pictures showing historic events, flower paintings, portraits for patrons and the court, and decorative pieces of art.
Education
Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is one of three universities of technology in the Netherlands. It was founded as an academy for civil engineering in 1842 by King William II. Today well over 16,000 students are enrolled.
The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, providing postgraduate education for people from developing countries, draws on the strong tradition in water management and hydraulic engineering of the Delft university.
Recreation
East of Delft is the Delftse Hout ("Delft Wood") recreation area, with a lake (suitable for swimming and windsurfing), narrow beaches, a small nudist area (not fenced off), restaurant, community gardens, campground and other recreational and sports facilities.
Well-known persons
Natives
Delft was the birthplace of several internationally well known persons:
- Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (1567-1641), painter
- Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), the lawyer who laid the foundations for international law
- Martin van den Hove (1605-1639), astronomer and mathematician
- Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet (1611 or 1612-1675), painter
- Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723), father of microbiology and developer of the microscope
- Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), painter
- Leonaert Bramer, painter
- Stien Kaiser-former speed skater
- Michaëlla Krajicek-professional tennis player.
- Arantxa Rus - professional tennis player.
Otherwise related
- Jan Timman chess grandmaster, was raised in Delft.
- Ken Monkou football player
International relations
Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in The Netherlands
Twin towns — Sister cities
|
Transportation
See also
- Delftware
- Johannes Vermeer
- William the Silent
- Dutch Golden Age
- Dutch East India Company
- Eastern Gate (Delft)
- Delft University of Technology
- World Solar Challenge
- Tanthof
References
- ^ (source: Delft municipality guide 2005)
- ^ "List of Twin Towns in the Ruhr Destrict". © 2009 Twins2010.com. http://www.twins2010.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pic/Dokumente/List_of_Twin_Towns_01.pdf?PHPSESSID=2edd34819db21e450d3bb625549ce4fd. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Delft |
- Delft travel guide from Wikitravel
- Municipal Website of Delft
- Radio Netherlands: The day the world came to an end
- National Gallery, London: A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654
- Delft University of Technology
 |
People of Delft on Familypedia. |
Further reading
- Vermeer: A View of Delft, Anthony Bailey, Henry Holt & Company, 2001, ISBN 0-8050-6718-3
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| Shopping: Delft |
Learn More
 | delft |
| Michiel (Jansz.) van Mierevelt (art) |
| Delfs (family name) |
 | Who is the most famous person from delft holland? Read answer... |
| When was the Jan Vermeer van Delft made? Read answer... |
| Make a word using letters delft? Read answer... |
Help us answer these
 | What is the cultral signifancance delft tiles? |
| What is the value of delft vase 2056? |
| What is the value of a Delft locket? |
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
 |
 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
 |
| Dialing Code. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Delft". Read more |
Related answers
- What year is the delft mark which has a line under delft?
- When was regina delft made?
- How do you repair a broken delft plate?
ADVERTISEMENT
Answer these
- Where is the Delft located?
- What is ranking of TU delft?
- Where can you find Delft pottery.?
- Who is maarten van delft?
Mentioned in
- delft
- Michiel (Jansz.) van Mierevelt (art)
- Delfs (family name)
- earthenware
- Dutch tile
- delftware
- Hendrick (Cornelisz.) van Vliet (art)
- Frans Adriaan Heyn (parapsychology)
- Hooch, Pieter de (Dutch genre painter)
- Willem Jacobsz Delff (art)
- van Nijmegen (art)
- Master of the Virgo inter Virgines (art)
- Daniel Mijtens I (art)
- Johannes Vermeer (art)
