Duitse Huis
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The ''Duitse Huis'' ( en, Teutonic House) is a complex of buildings in the city of
Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
, Netherlands, protected as a national monument. The older parts date to a monastery of the
Bailiwick of Utrecht The Bailiwick of Utrecht of the Teutonic Order ( nl, Ridderlijke Duitse Orde Balije van Utrecht) is a charity based in Utrecht, Netherlands. It originated in 1231 as a division of the order of Teutonic Knights. During the Protestant Reformation mos ...
of the
Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
founded in 1348. Originally Catholic, the order became Protestant during the Reformation. A military hospital was added in 1823 after the knights had sold the property. The property was sold back to the Bailiwick of Utrecht and a major renovation started in 1992. Some of the older buildings are again the headquarters of the Bailiwick of Utrecht, now a charity, and hold an important collection of medieval manuscripts, coins and pictures. Other buildings, including the former hospital, have been converted into a five-star hotel, the
Grand Hotel Karel V The Grand Hotel Karel V is a hotel in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is located in the ''Duitse Huis'' complex of buildings, including part of the old monastery of the Bailiwick of Utrecht of the Teutonic Knights founded in 1348. Most of the rooms and su ...
.


Teutonic Order

The Teutonic Order was one of the great Christian
military order Military order may refer to: Orders * Military order (religious society), confraternity of knights originally established as religious societies during the medieval Crusades for protection of Christianity and the Catholic Church Military organi ...
s, along with the
Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
and
Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
. It was mainly active in the Holy Land and the Baltic region, but had many branches in the west to provide sources of funds and of recruits. The Bailiwick of Utrecht of the Teutonic Order (''Ridderlijke Duitse Orde Balije van Utrecht'') was founded in 1231, initially focused mainly on the spiritual development of its own members. The order held agricultural lands, called commanderies, in different areas of the Netherlands, The knights and priests had taken the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In 1348 the order built the ''Duitse Huis'' as a monastery and headquarters between the city wall and Springweg in Utrecht. The Emperor
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...
(1500-1558) visited Utrecht between 30 December 1545 and 3 February 1546. A meeting of the chapter of the
order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...
began on 2 January 1546, attended by Charles V and his sister
Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands) Mary of Austria (15 September 1505 – 18 October 1558), also known as Mary of Hungary, was queen of Hungary and Bohemia as the wife of King Louis II, and was later governor of the Habsburg Netherlands. The daughter of Queen Joanna and Ki ...
. Kings
Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
and
Francis I of France Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
, both knights of the order, were present at this important event. The meetings of the chapter and the feasts took place in the ''Duitse Huis''. By 1580 the
States of Utrecht The Provincial Council of Utrecht ( nl, Staten van Utrecht, ) is the provincial council for the Dutch province of Utrecht. It forms the unicameral legislature of the province. Its 47 seats are distributed every four years in provincial elections ...
were demanding that Catholic institutions such as the Bailiwick be dissolved and their goods used for charity. The land commander in 1579–1612, Jacob Taets van Amerongen, resisted on the basis that the goods "belonged to our Lord the German Master", and that the Bailiwick was a knightly institution that served "where necessary to fight with weapons for the defence of the Empire against our common arch enemy, the Turk..." However, in 1637 the knights formally accepted the protection of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. They remained an order of Teutonic Knights, but were no longer Catholic. File:Sculptuur van keizer Karel in de nis van een wanddecoratie die uit architecturale vormen bestaat - Utrecht - 20399125 - RCE.jpg, Sculpture of Charles V in wall niche File:INTERIEUR, ZOLDERVERDIEPING, (XV), CONSOLE - Utrecht - 20272851 - RCE.jpg, Carved head found in the attic File:INTERIEUR, ZOLDERVERDIEPING, (XV), CONSOLE - Utrecht - 20272853 - RCE.jpg, Carved head found in the attic File:Jacob Taets van Amerongen.png, Jacob Taets van Amerongen


Buildings

From 17th century drawings it appears that the church was a large building, standing high over its surroundings. Most of the land commanders of the order were buried there, as were prominent citizens of Utrecht. One bay has survived, just over wide. There were probably seven or eight such bays, and perhaps a small transept. The main building contained the chapter room and the refectory, sometimes called the "Queens room", where the knights ate. Many dignitaries were entertained with elaborate feasts in the refectory. The commander's house, at right angles to the main building, was closed to the public. The commander's room was on the west side of the first floor, and there were two smaller reception rooms to the east of this floor. The chapter room was renovated in the second half of the 16th century. The work was probably done between 1550 and 1580 to accommodate growing numbers of visiting dignitaries, but may have been undertaken after 1580 due to the ban on public Catholic worship, or in preparation for the 1586 visit by the
Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
governor-general of the United Provinces,
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, (24 June 1532 – 4 September 1588) was an English statesman and the favourite of Elizabeth I from her accession until his death. He was a suitor for the queen's hand for many years. Dudley's youth was ov ...
. The joists above the hall were raised and new
corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...
s were put in. The former Gothic windows were raised and converted to bay windows. The wall posts were moved to give a symmetrical layout with a stone mantelpiece in the center of the north wall. From that date the walls may have been hung with tapestries. In 1674 the monastery was badly damaged by a windstorm. The church was ruined, and it was demolished. The sacristy, main building, kitchen with outbuildings and Commander's house remained standing. The "knights room" in the commander's house was used as a replacement church. In 1700 the 14th-century facade was truncated.


Hospital

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's brother
Louis Bonaparte Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (born Luigi Buonaparte; 2 September 1778 – 25 July 1846) was a younger brother of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. He was a monarch in his own right from 1806 to 1810, ruling over the Kingdom of Holland (a French cl ...
bought the property in 1807. The French government planned to convert the complex into a military hospital, and the Teutonic Order had to move to a new building on the canal. On 27 February 1811 the Teutonic Order was abolished in the
Kingdom of Holland The Kingdom of Holland ( nl, Holland (contemporary), (modern); french: Royaume de Hollande) was created by Napoleon Bonaparte, overthrowing the Batavian Republic in March 1806 in order to better control the Netherlands. Since becoming Emperor ...
and its estates were confiscated. After the fall of Napoleon and the restoration of the House of Orange, on 8 August 1815 the Bailiwick was revived by royal decree of
William I of the Netherlands William I (Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau; 24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843) was a Prince of Orange, the King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He was the son of the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, who we ...
. During the reign of King William I a very modern hospital building (for the time) was built on the property along the Geertebolwerk. The hospital was completed in 1823, and remained military property until 1990. The ''Duitse Huis'' was registered as a national monument on 20 June 1967. The complex was poorly maintained, and for a few years was occupied by squatters. In 1990 the Military Hospital moved to the
Uithof Utrecht Science Park (also known as De Uithof) is a science park and neighbourhood in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is located to the east of the city. It is the largest campus of Utrecht University. Apart from the faculties of Law, Humanities and Univer ...
. File:Hospitaal - Utrecht - 20234867 - RCE.jpg, Hospital in 1957 File:Aanzicht links bouwdeel 22 en bouwdeel 25 de west en zuid-gevel - Utrecht - 20234904 - RCE.jpg, A view of the complex in 1982 File:INT. EERSTE VERDIEPING GEBOUW, NOORDZIJDE VAN HOOFDGEBOUW - Utrecht - 20316639 - RCE.jpg, Main building in 1991 File:INT. GEBOUW III, HOOFDGEBOUW, BEGANE GROND, OVERZICHT WESTZIJDE - Utrecht - 20309053 - RCE.jpg, Building III during renovation in 1995 File:INT. GEBOUW V, HOOFDGEBOUW, ZUIDZIJDE, KAPCONSTRUCTIE, DETAIL - Utrecht - 20309037 - RCE.jpg, Building V during renovation in 1995


Recent years


Bailiwick of Utrecht

When the military hospital became vacant in the late 1980s the Bailiwick of Utrecht was able to repurchase the property due to an agreement dating back to 1808. A major renovation was started in 1992. The 14th century facade was restored during the renovation. In 1995 the Bailiwick of Utrecht moved back into the 15th century Commander's house on the corner of Springweg and Walsteeg. The order has become a charity that assists people with disabilities, the homeless and drug addicts. The Teutonic Order in the Netherlands converted to Calvinism in time, so they were able to preserve their property, including archival records dating back to the start of the 13th century. The Bailiwick of Utrecht has a collection of historical items in the ''Duitse Huis'' including many old charters with seals and a collection of medieval coins. The well-preserved archive is open to researchers. The ''Duitse Huis'' has several impressive rooms, including the meeting room for the officers of the Bailiwick. The walls have portraits of every ''Landcommandeur'' from the order's foundation. All but the most recent are depicted in armor with a mantle over their shoulders. The old buildings, surrounded by tall trees in a fenced area, are an oasis of tranquility in the center of modern Utrecht. File:Crucifixion and the first three land commanders of the Bailiwick of Utrecht.png, Crucifixion and the first three land commanders of the Bailiwick of Utrecht File:Five land commanders of the Bailiwick of Utrecht, with Jacob Taets van Amerongen at the far right.png, Five land commanders of the Bailiwick of Utrecht, Jacob Taets van Amerongen at far right (ca. 1576-80)


Hotel

Further renovations converted much of the complex into a hotel. The hospital's wards were converted into hotel rooms and suites. The Grand Hotel Karel V, a five-star hotel, opened in part of the building complex in 1999. The hotel has 121 rooms, conference rooms, a health center, bar, brasserie and restaurant. The former chapter room and former refectory are now dining areas. The remains of a fireplace were found during the renovation on which the double-headed eagle, the emblem of Charles V, was engraved in sandstone. A new fireplace has been built in the same place in the former refectory as the old fireplace with the coat of arms and motto of Charles V. During the restoration archaeologists discovered the remains of a Roman cemetery dating to between 40 BC and 275 AD. This may be associated with the Roman fort of Traiectum. The garden wing was renovated and extended in 2007 and renamed the Roman wing after this discovery. There are traces of the past history of the complex including objects, photographs and historical drawings displayed in locations throughout the hotel.


References

Citations Sources * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Further reading *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duitse Huis Rijksmonuments in Utrecht (city) Hotels in the Netherlands 1348 establishments in Europe Buildings and structures of the Teutonic Order Former squats Squats in the Netherlands Buildings and structures in Utrecht (city)