Brederode Castle ( nl, Kasteel Brederode), also called the Ruins of Brederode ( nl, Ruïne van Brederode), is located near

Santpoort-Zuid {{Infobox settlement , name = Santpoort-Zuid , settlement_type = Village , other_name = , native_name = , native_name_lang = nl , image_skyline = 37110 Ruine van Brederode ...

. The castle was founded in the second half of the 13th century by William I van Brederode (1215–1285). William was a descendant of the lords van Teylingen, who were related to the counts of

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

. The castle formed part of the ''high

lordship A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordship, the functions of econ ...

Brederode'', which had been given in loan in the 13th century to the lords of Brederode by the count of Holland. The name Brederode is a reference to a wooded area called ''Brede Roede'' (literally: broad wood), that was cleared and on which the castle was built. The castle was at first not more than a tower, but around 1300 Dirk II van Brederode had the tower pulled down and replaced with a proper castle.

History

Siege of 1351

During the

Hook and Cod wars The Hook and Cod wars ( nl, Hoekse en Kabeljauwse twisten) comprise a series of wars and battles in the County of Holland between 1350 and 1490. Most of these wars were fought over the title of count of Holland, but some have argued that the un ...

, the Brederode family stayed loyal to

Margaret of Bavaria Margaret of Bavaria (1363 – 23 January 1424, Dijon) was Duchess of Burgundy by marriage to John the Fearless. She was the regent of the Burgundian Low Countries during the absence of her spouse in 1404–1419 and the regent in French Burgundy ...

. In 1351 the castle was besieged by Gijsbrecht van Nijenrode, who supported the opposing Cod faction. The castle surrendered by treaty on 23 October 1351. By this treaty the (unnamed) Lord of Brederode made his peace with Count William, and would receive a yearly allowance of 350 pounds while his lands were put under sequester for the time being. The castellan and garrison were banished and allowed to leave with half their possessions. After the surrender of the castle, it was so badly damaged that it was demolished.

Rebuild of the castle

After the reconciliation of the Brederode family and the counts of Holland in 1354, the castle was rebuilt. The current floor plan of the castle dates from this rebuild. It was no longer used as living space, but it did remain a base of strategic importance for the Hook faction, led by William van Brederode. When the Hook faction besieged Haarlem in 1426, the Cod faction destroyed the southern part of the castle. William was forbidden to repair or enforce the castle, leaving it in a damaged state. Eventually in 1464 the north part of the castle was allowed to be restored. During the Rise of the cheese and bread people in 1492, the castle was plundered by German soldiers. Since then it was no longer inhabited. In 1568 it fell to the States of Holland. After the defeat of the Geuzen at the

Battle of Haarlemmermeer The Battle of Haarlemmermeer was a naval engagement fought on 26 May 1573, during the early stages of the Dutch War of Independence. It was fought on the waters of the Haarlemmermeer – a large lake which at the time was a prominent feature o ...

, Haarlem had to surrender to the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

soldiers in 1573 after 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 pre ...

. As a result, the Protestant Lancelot van Brederode was beheaded and the castle was plundered and set on fire. Following this the castle was threatened by encroaching

dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

. In 1579 Holland loaned the lordship to a side branch of the

van Brederode The Lords of Van Brederode (''Heeren van Brederode'') were a noble family from Holland who played an important role during the Middle Ages and the Early modern period. The family had a high noble rank and hold the titles ''Count of Brederode'', ...

family. In 1679, Wolfert van Brederode, last lord of Brederode, died, and the ruins became property of the States of Holland and the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

. Ever since, the ruins have been property of the State. In the 19th century the ruins were one of the first buildings to be restored by the government, and they became the first national monument of the Netherlands.

Pictures

References

Brederode Castle
* ''Onvoltooide roem'', Jan H. Verhoog * Grote Winkler Prins, ''Brederode (1, heerlijkheid)'', 7e druk, 4e deel, 1973, p. 502 * *

Notes

External links

{{Authority control Ruined castles in the Netherlands Castles in North Holland Rijksmonuments in North Holland Velsen Hook and Cod wars