__NOTOC__ The ruins of the Huis ter Kleef castle are located in the city gardens of

Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...

History

The castle is located about halfway between the

Brederode Castle Brederode Castle ( nl, Kasteel Brederode), also called the Ruins of Brederode ( nl, Ruïne van Brederode), is located near Santpoort-Zuid. The castle was founded in the second half of the 13th century by William I van Brederode (1215–1285). W ...

and the

Haarlem City Hall The City Hall in Haarlem is the seat of the city's government. It was built in the 14th century replacing the Count's castle. History Around 1100 a wooden building was constructed on the location of the current ''Gravenzaal'' of the City Hall. ...

, which were built respectively in the second half of the 13th century and 1370, and probably dates from that period, when it is referred to as ''Huis te Schoten''. Situated a mile and a half from Haarlem center, in those days it was situated in the middle of a town called Schoten. In 1403 it was given to Margaret of Cleves (c.1375-1411), and has since retained that name. During the

Siege of Haarlem The siege of Haarlem was an episode of the Eighty Years' War. From 11 December 1572 to 13 July 1573 an army of Philip II of Spain laid bloody siege to the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands, whose loyalties had begun wavering during the prev ...

in 1572 it was the headquarters of the Spanish army, under the leadership of the

duke of Alva Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

. It was blown up in 1573 and badly damaged, the rubble was used for city expansion. The house nearby with a tower called the "Kaatsbaan" was long considered the only building left standing, though recent archeological research suggests that the foundations have older stones than the rest and perhaps it was itself rebuilt after the explosion. The property changed hands several times until it was purchased by the city of Haarlem in 1713. The name "Kaatsbaan" refers to the sport

Jeu de paume ''Jeu de paume'' (, ; originally spelled ; ), nowadays known as real tennis, (US) court tennis or (in France) ''courte paume'', is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, a ...

, an indoor precursor of tennisCees de Bondt
''De drie nog bestaande Nederlandse Kaatsbanen''
De Keatsfreon Jiergong 14, 2005. (in Dutch) or to "Kaatsen" (

Frisian handball Frisian handball ( fry, keatsen; nl, kaatsen) is a traditional Frisian sport, related to American handball and fives, that is most commonly practiced by people from the northern Dutch province of Friesland (''Fryslân''). It is believed to be ...

), which presumably was once played here, though in the 18th century this was probably "

Kolven Kolven (verb; or noun: kolf) is a game originating from the Netherlands. Played by four people; it has players hit the ball over a certain distance. The first people to reach their opponents' starting point win. Games can last multiple days. G ...

", a sport somewhat like golf. The St. Eloy's Hospice, an old guild hall in the center of Utrecht, similarly became a center for the Kolf sport after the guilds were disbanded. Stones from the central castle ruin can still be seen in surrounding buildings. The Kaatsbaan was used as a residence for former owners and is now also in use by the city gardens. In February 2006, the City of Haarlem agreed to a proposal to restore the court at Huis ter Kleef, if the Real Tennis Club Huis ter Kleef could raise the necessary funds (approximately €1,450,000).Real Tennis Club Huis ter Kleef, Project Status

References

External links

Dutch Real Tennis Association

Real Tennis Club Huis ter Kleef
Ruined castles in the Netherlands Castles in North Holland Buildings and structures in Haarlem History of Haarlem Rijksmonuments in Haarlem Jeu de paume Defunct real tennis venues {{Netherlands-struct-stub

History

See also

References

External links