De Haar Castle
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Castle De Haar | |
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Kasteel de Haar | |
Haarzuilens, Utrecht, Netherlands | |
Coordinates | 52°07′17″N 4°59′11″E / 52.1214°N 4.9863°E |
Type | Castle |
Site information | |
Owner | Foundation Kasteel de Haar |
Open to the public | Yes |
Condition | Good |
Site history | |
Built | 1892-1907 |
Built by | P. J. H. Cuypers |
De Haar Castle (Dutch: Kasteel de Haar) is located outside Utrecht, Netherlands. It is the largest castle in The Netherlands.[1]
Original site
The oldest historical record of a building at the location of the current castle dates to 1391. In that year, the De Haar family received the castle and the surrounding lands as a
In 1801 the last Catholic van Zuylen in the Netherlands, the bachelor Anton-Martinus van Zuylen van Nijevelt (1708–1801), bequeathed the property to his cousin Jean-Jacques van Zuylen van Nyevelt (1752–1846) of the Catholic branch in the Southern Netherlands.
1892 restoration
In 1887, Jean-Jacques' grandson,
The castle was equipped by Cuypers with the most modern gadgets, such as electrical lighting with its own generator, and central heating by way of steam. This installation is internationally recognized as an industrial monument.[citation needed] The kitchen was for that period also very modern and still has its copper pots and pans, the largest extant set in the Netherlands, and an enormous furnace approximately 6 metres long, which was heated with peat or coals. The tiles in the kitchen are decorated with the coats of arms of the families De Haar and Van Zuylen, which were for this purpose especially baked in Franeker. Cuypers emphasized the difference between the old and new walls by using different kinds of bricks. For the interior Cuypers made extensive use of cast iron.
Many details in the castle refer to the Rothschild family, such as the
Interior
The interior of the castle is decorated with richly ornamented woodcarving, reminiscent of the interior of a Roman Catholic church. This carving was made in the workshop of Cuypers in
Park and gardens
Surrounding the castle there is a park, designed by
For the decoration of the park, the village Haarzuilens, except for the town church, was demolished. The inhabitants were moved to a place a kilometre away, where a new Haarzuilens arose and where they lived as tenants of the lord of the castle. This new village was also built in a pseudo-medieval style, including a rural village green. The buildings were for the most part designed by Cuypers and his son Joseph Cuypers. Since 2000, the estate is partly owned by Natuurmonumenten.
Arms
The colours of the family van Zuylen are red and white. The coat of arms consists of three red columns on a white field. The different branches of this family differ slightly on these colours. This coat of arms does not only live on in the colours of the castle, but also in nearly all of the houses of Haarzuilens, even in the newly constructed ones.
Current ownership
In 2000, the family Van Zuylen van Nyevelt passed ownership of the castle and the gardens (45 ha) to the foundation Kasteel de Haar. However, the family retained the right to spend one month per year in the castle. In the same year, the Dutch society
After the death in 2011 of the last male heir, Thierry van Zuylen, his five daughters also sold the castle's art collection and furnishings to the new owners.
Fairs
The castle terrain is regularly used for fairs and markets, such as the
Gallery
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De Haar Castle
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Châtelet rear view
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The castle's chapel
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One of many gates and bridges on the property
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Door knocker to the main building
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Central Hall ceiling
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Statues and stained-glass windows inside the Central Hall
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Statue overlooking the Central Hall
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One of many bedrooms
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A bathroom with vanity
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Kitchen and the copper pot collection
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Game room
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Decorated mantel
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Swans in one of many gardens on the property
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Flowers growing in the front garden
See also
- List of castles in the Netherlands
- Hélène van Zuylen
- Marie-Hélène de Rothschild
- Rothschild family
- Waddesdon Manor
- Van Zuylen van Nievelt
- Van Zuylen van Nijevelt
- Slot Zuylen
References
- ^ "About De Haar Castle". Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "Foundation Kasteel de Haar". Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
- ^ "Restoration programme". Archived from the original on 26 July 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2009.