Delft () is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

, to the southeast, and

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

, to the northwest. Together with them, it is part of both the

Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area The Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area ( nl, Metropoolregio Rotterdam Den Haag) is a metropolitan area encompassing the cities of Rotterdam and The Hague as well as 21 other municipalities. It was founded in 2014. The area has a population of ...

and the

Randstad The Randstad (; "Rim" or "Edge" City) is a roughly crescent-shaped conurbation in the central-western Netherlands, consisting primarily of the four largest Dutch cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht); their suburbs, and many tow ...

. Delft is a popular tourist destination in the Netherlands, famous for its historical connections with the reigning House of Orange-Nassau, for its blue pottery, for being home to the painter

Jan Vermeer Johannes Vermeer ( , , see below; also known as Jan Vermeer; October 1632 – 15 December 1675) was a Dutch Baroque Period painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. During his lifetime, he was a moderately succe ...

, and for hosting

Delft University of Technology Delft University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Delft), also known as TU Delft, is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. As of 2022 it is ranked by QS World University Rankings among ...

(TU Delft). Historically, Delft played a highly influential role in the Dutch Golden Age. In terms of science and technology, thanks to the pioneering contributions of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and

Martinus Beijerinck Martinus Willem Beijerinck (, 16 March 1851 – 1 January 1931) was a Dutch microbiologist and botanist who was one of the founders of virology and environmental microbiology. He is credited with the discovery of viruses, which he called "'' ...

, Delft can be considered to be the birthplace of microbiology.

History

Early history

The city of Delft came into being beside a canal, the 'Delf', which comes from the word ''delven'', meaning to delve or dig, and this led to the name Delft. At the elevated place where this 'Delf' crossed the creek wall of the silted up river Gantel, a Count established his manor, probably around 1075. Partly because of this, Delft became an important market town, the evidence for which can be seen in the size of its central market square. Having been a rural village in the early Middle Ages, Delft developed into a city, and on 15 April 1246, Count Willem II granted Delft its

city charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document ('' charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charte ...

. Trade and industry flourished. In 1389 the Delfshavensche Schie canal was dug through to the river Maas, where the port of

Delfshaven Delfshaven is a borough of Rotterdam, Netherlands, on the right bank of river Nieuwe Maas. It was a separate municipality until 1886. The town of Delfshaven grew around the port of the city of Delft. Delft itself was not located on a major river ...

was built, connecting Delft to the sea. Until the 17th century, Delft was one of the major cities of the then county (and later province) 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 ...

. In 1400, for example, the city had 6,500 inhabitants, making it the third largest city after

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after R ...

(8,000) and Haarlem (7,000). In 1560, Amsterdam, with 28,000 inhabitants, had become the largest city, followed by Delft, Leiden and Haarlem, which each had around 14,000 inhabitants. In 1536, a large part of the city was destroyed by the great fire of Delft. The town's association with the

House of Orange The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands ...

started when William of Orange (Willem van Oranje), nicknamed

William the Silent William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...

(Willem de Zwijger), took up residence in 1572 in the former Saint-Agatha convent (subsequently called the Prinsenhof). At the time he was the leader of growing national Dutch resistance against Spanish occupation, known as the Eighty Years' War. By then Delft was one of the leading cities of

and it was equipped with the necessary

city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

s to serve as a headquarters. In October 1573, an attack by Spanish forces was repelled in the Battle of Delft. After the

Act of Abjuration The Act of Abjuration ( nl, Plakkaat van Verlatinghe; es, Acta de Abjuración, lit=placard of abjuration) is the declaration of independence by many of the provinces of the Netherlands from the allegiance to Philip II of Spain, during the Dut ...

was proclaimed in 1581, Delft became the ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' capital of the newly independent Netherlands, as the seat of the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The title ...

. When William was shot dead on 10 July 1584 by Balthazar Gerards in the hall of the Prinsenhof (now the Prinsenhof Museum), the family's traditional burial place in Breda was still in the hands of the Spanish. Therefore, he was buried in the Delft Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), starting a tradition for the House of Orange that has continued to the present day. Around this time, Delft also occupied a prominent position in the field of printing. A number of Italian glazed earthenware makers settled in the city and introduced a new style. The tapestry industry also flourished when famous manufacturer François Spierincx moved to the city. In the 17th century, Delft experienced a new heyday, thanks to the presence of an office of the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

(VOC) (opened in 1602) and the manufacture of Delft Blue china. A number of notable artists based themselves in the city, including Leonard Bramer, Carel Fabritius, Pieter de Hoogh,

Gerard Houckgeest Gerard Houckgeest (c. 1600–August 1661) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of architectural scenes and church interiors. Biography Houckgeest is thought to have been born in The Hague, where, according to the RKD, he learned to paint from Ba ...

Emanuel de Witte Emanuel de Witte (1617–1692) was a Dutch perspective painter. In contrast to Pieter Jansz Saenredam, who emphasized architectural accuracy, De Witte was more concerned with the atmosphere of his interiors. Though few in number, de Witte als ...

Jan Steen Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. Lif ...

, and

Johannes Vermeer Johannes Vermeer ( , , see below; also known as Jan Vermeer; October 1632 – 15 December 1675) was a Dutch Baroque Period painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. During his lifetime, he was a moderately succe ...

Reinier de Graaf Regnier de Graaf (English spelling), original Dutch spelling Reinier de Graaf, or Latinized Reijnerus de Graeff (30 July 164117 August 1673) was a Dutch physician, physiologist and anatomist who made key discoveries in reproductive biology. He s ...

and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek received international attention for their scientific research.

Explosion

The Delft Explosion, also known in history as the Delft Thunderclap, occurred on 12 October 1654 when a

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...

store exploded, destroying much of the city. Over a hundred people were killed and thousands were injured. About of gunpowder were stored in

barrels A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, u ...

in a magazine in a former Clarist

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

in the Doelenkwartier district, where the Paardenmarkt is now located. 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

. Today, the explosion is primarily remembered for killing Rembrandt's most promising pupil, Carel Fabritius, and destroying almost all of his works. Delft artist Egbert van der Poel painted several pictures of Delft showing the devastation. The gunpowder store (Dutch: Kruithuis) was subsequently re-housed, a 'cannonball's distance away', outside the city, in a new building designed by architect

Pieter Post Pieter Post in 1651. Portrait by Pieter Nolpe, detail of a larger work Pieter Jansz Post (1 May 1608 – buried 8 May 1669) was a Dutch Golden Age architect, painter and printmaker. Biography Post was baptised in Haarlem, the son of a ...

Sights

Pieter Wouwerman - Gezicht op de Paardenmarkt te Delft

The city centre retains a large number of monumental buildings, while in many streets there are

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

s of which the banks are connected by typical bridges, altogether making this city a notable tourist destination. Historical buildings and other sights of interest include: * Oude Kerk (Old Church), constructed between 1246 and 1350. Buried here: Piet Hein,

, Antonie 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 cover stone. *A statue of Hugo Grotius created by in 1886, located on the Markt near the Nieuwe Kerk. *The Prinsenhof (Princes' Court), now a museum. * City Hall on the Markt. *The

Oostpoort Oostpoort (; en, East Gate) is a neighborhood in the borough Amsterdam-Oost in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The neighborhood is situated at between the Linnaeusstraat, the Ringvaart, the Amsterdam–Arnhem railway, and the Amsterdam–Zutphen railwa ...

(Eastern gate), built around 1400. This is the only remaining gate of the old city walls. *The

Gemeenlandshuis A Gemeenlandshuis, or Waterschapshuis is a building that is (or was formerly used as) the headquarters of one of the Waterboards of the Netherlands. History Early flood control in the Netherlands is often called the ''Teerschouw'', which lo ...

Delfland, or Huyterhuis, built in 1505, which has housed the Delfland regional water authority since 1645. *The

Vermeer Centre The Vermeer Centre is an information center dedicated to the painter Johannes Vermeer and the work of his contemporaries in Delft, the Netherlands. The building is a rebuilt version of the old local Guild of Saint Luke. The center works with loc ...

in the re-built Guild house of St. Luke. *The historical "Waag" building (Weigh house). *Windmill De Roos, a

tower mill A tower mill is a type of vertical windmill consisting of a brick or stone tower, on which sits a wooden 'cap' or roof, which can rotate to bring the sails into the wind.Medieval science, technology, and medicine: an encyclopedia (2005), 520 Thi ...

built c.1760. Restored to working order in 2013. Another windmill that formerly stood in Delft, Het Fortuyn, was dismantled in 1917 and re-erected at the

Netherlands Open Air Museum The Netherlands Open Air Museum ( nl, Nederlands Openluchtmuseum) is an open-air museum located in Arnhem with antique houses, farms, and factories from different parts of the Netherlands. It is a national museum focusing on the culture associated ...

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...

Gelderland Gelderland (), also known as Guelders () in English, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by ...

in 1920. *Royal Delft also known as De Porceleyne Fles, is a great place which showcases Delft ware. *Science Center attracts kids as well as adults. File:Delft stadhuis.jpg, Delft City Hall File:Delft poorte.jpg, Eastern Gate (''Oostpoort'') File:Delft Oude Kerk 002.jpg, The Old Church tower File:Oude Langendijk Delft.jpg, Oude Langendijk

Culture

Delft plate faience Famille Rose 1760 1780

Delft is well known for the

Delft pottery Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue ( nl, Delfts blauw) or as delf, is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands ...

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

products which were styled on the imported

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...

of the 17th century. The city had an early start in this area since it was a home port of the

. It can still be seen at the pottery factories De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles (or Royal Delft) and

De Delftse Pauw 250px, De Delftse Pauw De Delftse Pauw was a pottery factory from the 17th century located in the north of the city Delft (in the Netherlands) on the Delftweg (close to the Schie). It was one of the few pottery factories which carry on the traditi ...

, while new ceramics and ceramic art can be found at the

Gallery Terra Delft Gallery Terra Delft is an Art dealer, art gallery in Delft specialized in ceramics and ceramic art from contemporary national and international ceramists. It was founded in 1986. History Opening and first years The gallery was founded by artis ...

.Kitty Kilian,
10 jaar galerie Terra; Keramisch gezicht op Delft
" ''NRC Handelsblad,'' 23 May 1996. The painter

(1632–1675) was born in Delft. Vermeer used Delft streets and home interiors as the subject or background in 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 were all members of the Delft School. The Delft School is known for its images of domestic life and views of households, church interiors, courtyards, squares and the streets of Delft. The painters also produced pictures showing historic events, flowers, portraits for patrons and the court as well as decorative pieces of art. Delft supports creative arts companies. From 2001 the , a building that had been disused since 1951, began to house small companies in the creative arts sector. Its demolition started in December 2009, making way for the new railway tunnel in Delft. The occupants of the building, as well as the name 'Bacinol', moved to another building in the city. The name Bacinol relates to Dutch penicillin research during WWII.

Education

(TU Delft) is one of four universities of technology in the Netherlands. It was founded as an academy for civil engineering in 1842 by King William II. Today, well over 21,000 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 Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slight ...

and

hydraulic engineering Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the m ...

of the Delft university. The Hague University of Applied Sciences has a building on the Delft University of Technology campus. It opened in 2009 and offers several bachelor degrees for the Faculty of Technology, Innovation & Society.

Inholland University of Applied Sciences Inholland University of Applied Sciences (; ; ) is a university of applied sciences with its campuses located in 8 different cities placed throughout the western Netherlands with an education campus in every main city of the Randstad – the coun ...

also has a building on the Delft University of Technology campus. Several bachelor degrees for the Agri, Food & Life Sciences faculty and the Engineering, Design and Computing faculty are being taught at the Delft campus.

Economy

In the local economic field, essential elements are: *education; (amongst others

) ( 21.651 students and 4.939 full-time employees), *scientific research; (amongst others "TNO"

Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO; en, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) is an independent research organisation in the Netherlands that focuses on applied science. The organisat ...

), Stichting Deltares, Nederlands Normalisatie-Instituut, UNESCO-IHE Institute for water education, Technopolis Innovation Park; *tourism; (about one million registered visitors a year), *industry; (DSM Gist Services BV, (

Delftware Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue ( nl, Delfts blauw) or as delf, is a general term now used for Dutch tin-glazed earthenware, a form of faience. Most of it is blue and white pottery, and the city of Delft in the Netherlands ...

) earthenware production by

De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles The Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles N.V. (trading publicly as Royal Delft) is a Dutch manufacturer of Delft Blue earthenware, headquartered in Delft, the Netherlands. It is the only remaining factory out of 32 that were established in Delft during the ...

, Exact Software Nederland BV, TOPdesk, Ampelmann) *retail; ( IKEA (Inter IKEA Systems B.V., owner and worldwide franchisor of the IKEA Concept, is based in Delft), Makro, Eneco Energy NV).

Nature and recreation

East of Delft lies a relatively large nature and recreation area called the "Delftse Hout" ("Delft Wood"). Through the forest lie bike, horse-riding and footpaths. It also includes a vast lake (suitable for swimming and windsurfing), narrow beaches, a restaurant, and community gardens, plus camping ground and other recreational and sports facilities. (There is also a facility for renting bikes from the station.) Inside the city, apart from a central park, there are several smaller town parks, including "Nieuwe Plantage", "Agnetapark", "Kalverbos". There is also the

Botanical Garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

of the TU and an arboretum in Delftse Hout.

Notable people

Zelfportret van de schilder met zijn gezin Rijksmuseum SK-A-1460

Cropped version of Jan Vermeer van Delft 002

Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt - Hugo Grotius

Frederik Hendrik by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt

Delft is the birthplace of:

Dutch Golden Age

* Jacob Willemsz Delff the Elder, (ca. 1550–1601), portrait painter *

Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt Michiel Janszoon van Mierevelt, often abbreviated as Michiel Jansz. and the surname also spelled Miereveld or Miereveldt, (; 1 May 1566 – 27 June 1641) was a Dutch painter and draftsman of the Dutch Golden Age. Biography Van Mierevelt wa ...

(1567–1641), painter * Willem van der Vliet (c. 1584–1642), painter *

Adriaen van de Venne Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne (1589 – 12 November 1662), was a versatile Dutch Golden Age painter of allegories, genre subjects, and portraits, as well as a miniaturist, book illustrator, designer of political satires, and versifier. Bio ...

(1589–1662), painter * Adriaen Cornelisz van Linschoten (1590–1677), painter *

Daniël Mijtens Daniël Mijtens ( 1590 – 1647/48), known in England as Daniel Mytens the Elder, was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter belonging to a family of Flemish painters who spent the central years of his career working in England. Biography ...

(ca. 1590–1647/48), portrait painter *

Leonaert Bramer Leonaert Bramer, also Leendert or Leonard (24 December 1596 – before 10 February 1674 (date of burial)),Leonaert Bramer< ...

(1596–1674), painter of genre, religious, and history paintings * Pieter Jansz van Asch (1603–ca. 1678), painter * Evert van Aelst (1602–1657), still life painter * Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet (ca. 1611–1675), painter of church interiors * Harmen Steenwijck (ca. 1612–ca. 1656), painter of still lifes and fruit * Jacob Willemsz Delff the Younger (1619–1661), portrait painter *

David Beck David Beck (or Beek; May 25, 1621December 20, 1656), was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter. Biography Beck was born in Delft, and was named after his uncle, a well-known poet from Arnhem.Egbert van der Poel (1621–1664), genre and landscape painter * Daniel Vosmaer (1622–1666), painter *

Willem van Aelst Willem van Aelst (16 May 1627 – buried 22 May 1683)Aelst, Willem van

(1627–1683), artist of still-lifes *

Hendrick van der Burgh Hendrick van der Burgh (1627 – after 1664), was a Dutch Golden Age genre painter. Biography According to the Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD) he was born in Delft and was a member of the same "school" or artistic style as Pie ...

(1627–after 1664), genre painter *

(1632–1675), painter of domestic interior scenes *

Ary de Milde Ary de Milde (1634 – 1708) was a Dutch Golden Age ceramist in Delft. Milde was born in Delft and is known for developing a type of red stoneware imitation teapot that competed with the popular imported Yixing clay teapots. After the war between ...

(1634–1708), ceramist

Public thinking and service

* Christian van Adrichem (1533—1585), Catholic priest and theological writer *

Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn Jan Joosten van Lodensteyn (or Lodensteijn; 1556–1623), known in Japanese as Yayōsu (耶楊子), was a native of Delft and one of the first Dutchmen in Japan, and the second mate on the Dutch ship ''De Liefde'', which was stranded in Japan ...

(1556–1623), one of the first Dutchmen in Japan * Hugo Grotius (1583–1645), humanist, diplomat, lawyer, theologian and jurist who laid the foundations for

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange Frederick Henry ( nl, Frederik Hendrik; 29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647) was the sovereign prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1625 until his death in 1647. In the last ...

(1584–1647), sovereign

prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The title ...

and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders & Overijssel from 1625 to 1647 *

Philippus Baldaeus Philips Baelde or Father Philippus Baldaeus, (baptized on 24 October 1632, Delft – 1671, Geervliet) was a Dutch minister. He went to Jaffna during the Dutch period in Ceylon with an invading Dutch force. As the second European after Abr ...

(1632–1671), minister in

Jaffna Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th mo ...

Diederik Durven Diederik Durven (13 September 1676 – 26 February 1740) was a Dutch colonial administrator and Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1729 to 1732. Durven studied Law at Leiden University where he graduated on 19 July 1702. He became an ...

(1676–1740), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1729 to 1732 * Abraham van der Weijden (1743–1773), ship's captain, initiated of

Freemasonry in South Africa Freemasonry was brought to South Africa by members of the Grand Orient of the Netherlands in 1772. Today there are lodges chartered under the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the Grand Lodge o ...

* Gerrit Paape (1752–1803), painter of earthenware and stoneware, poet, journalist, novelist, judge, columnist and finally a ministerial civil servant *

Aegidius van Braam Aegidius van Braam (30 July 1758 in Gorinchem – 17 May 1822 in Delft) was a Dutch naval officer who attained the rank of vice-admiral. When the Dutch Republic was overrun by French Revolutionary troops in 1795, he remained loyal to the House of ...

(1758–1822), naval vice-admiral *

Agneta Matthes Agneta Wilhelmina Johanna van Marken-Matthes (4 October 1847 – 5 October 1909) was a Dutch entrepreneur. She and her husband were involved in the manufacture of yeast throughout their lives, and were engaged in the co-operative movement, ta ...

(1847–1909), entrepreneur, manufactured yeast using the

cooperative movement The history of the cooperative movement concerns the origins and history of cooperatives across the world. Although cooperative arrangements, such as mutual insurance, and principles of cooperation existed long before, the cooperative movement bega ...

and housed workers at Agnetapark * Henk Zeevalking (1922–2005), politician and jurist * Piet Bukman (born 1934), politician and diplomat * Klaas de Vries (born 1943), politician and jurist * Atzo Nicolaï (born 1960), politician * Marja van Bijsterveldt (born 1961), politician, Mayor of Delft since 2016 *

Alexander Pechtold Alexander Pechtold (born 16 December 1965) is a retired Dutch politician and art historian. He is a member of Democrats 66. Pechtold studied Archaeology and History of Dutch Art at the Leiden University obtaining a Master of Arts degree. Pecht ...

(born 1965, politician and art historian

Science and business

* Adolphus Vorstius (1597–1663), physician and botanist *

Martin van den Hove Martin (Maarten) van den Hove (Latinized as Martinus Hortensius (Ortensius)) (1605 – 7 August 1639) was a Dutch astronomer and mathematician. His adopted Latin name is a translation of the Dutch ''hof'' ("garden"), in Latin ''horta''. Early li ...

(1605–1639), astronomer and mathematician * Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723), father of microbiology and developer of the

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisi ...

Nicolaas Kruik Nicolaas Samuelszoon Kruik ( la, Nicolaus Samuelis Cruquius; 2 December 1678, West-Vlieland – 5 February 1754, Spaarndam), also known as Klaas Kruik and Nicolaes Krukius, was a Dutch land surveyor, cartographer, astronomer and weatherman. He i ...

(1678–1754), land surveyor, cartographer, astronomer, weatherman and eponym of the Museum De Cruquius * Martin van Marum (1750–1837), physician, inventor, scientist and teacher *

Jacob Gijsbertus Samuël van Breda Jacob Gijsbertus Samuël van Breda (24 October 1788, in Delft – 2 September 1867, in Haarlem) was a Dutch biologist and geologist. Jacob was the son of Jacob van Breda, a Dutch physician, physicist and politician, and Anna Elsenera van Campe ...

(1788–1867), biologist and geologist *

Philippe-Charles Schmerling Philippe-Charles or Philip Carel Schmerling (2 March 1791 Delft – 7 November 1836, Liège) was a Dutch/Belgian prehistorian, pioneer in paleontology, and geologist. He is often considered the founder of paleontology. In 1829 he discovered ...

(1791–1836), prehistorian, geologist and pioneer in

paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

(1851–1931), microbiologist, discovered

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsk ...

es, lived and worked in Delft *

Guillaume Daniel Delprat Guillaume Daniel Delprat Order of the British Empire, CBE (1 September 1856 – 15 March 1937) was a Netherlands, Dutch-Australian metallurgy, metallurgist, mining engineer, and businessman. He was a developer of the froth flotation process fo ...

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(1856–1937), metallurgist, mining engineer and businessman * Frederik H. Kreuger (1928–2015), high-voltage scientist, academic and inventor *

Marjo van der Knaap Marjo S. van der Knaap (born 9 May 1958) is a Dutch professor of pediatric neurology at VU University Amsterdam and the VU University Medical Center. She was a winner of the 2008 Spinoza Prize. Her research focuses on white matter disorders. Ea ...

(born 1958), professor of pediatric neurology,

white matter White matter refers to areas of the central nervous system (CNS) that are mainly made up of myelinated axons, also called tracts. Long thought to be passive tissue, white matter affects learning and brain functions, modulating the distributi ...

researcher *

Peter Schrijver Peter Schrijver (; born 1963) is a Dutch linguist. He is a professor of Celtic languages at Utrecht University and a researcher of ancient Indo-European linguistics. He worked previously at Leiden University and the Ludwig Maximilian University ...

(born 1963), historical linguist *

Ionica Smeets Ionica Smeets (born 8 October 1979) is a Dutch mathematician, science journalist, columnist, television presenter and professor in science communication at Leiden University. Biography Ionica Smeets was born in Delft, where she completed her pr ...

(born 1979), mathematician, science journalist, TV presenter and academic * Boyan Slat (born 1994), inventor and entrepreneur, CEO of

The Ocean Cleanup The Ocean Cleanup is a nonprofit environmental engineering organization based in the Netherlands, that develops technology to extract plastic pollution from the oceans and intercept it in rivers before it can reach the ocean. After initial t ...

Art

* Suzanne Manet (1829–1906), pianist, wife and model of painter

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Bo ...

* Betsy Perk (1833–1906), author of novels and plays, pioneer of the Dutch women's movement * Ton Lutz (1919–2009) and

Pieter Lutz Pieter Lutz (13 August 1927 – 20 August 2009) was a Dutch actor best known for his role as Fred in the Dutch sitcom ''Het Zonnetje in Huis''. His older brothers Ton and Luc were also actors and he is the uncle of Dutch actor Joris Lutz. Lutz g ...

(1927–2009), brothers and actors *

Bram Bogart Bram Bogart (July 12, 1921 – May 2, 2012) was a Belgian expressionist painter most closely associated with the COBRA group. Early life and education Abraham van den Boogaart was born in Delft, the Netherlands, the son of Abraham van den Boogaa ...

(1921–2012), expressionist painter of the COBRA group *

Cor Dam Cornelis (Cor) Dam (April 26, 1935 – July 29, 2019) was a Dutch artist, who has been active as sculptor, painter, illustrator and ceramist. Life and work Born in Delft, Dam studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. After graduating he ...

(born 1935), sculptor, painter, illustrator and ceramist *

Kader Abdolah Hossein Sadjadi Ghaemmaghami Farahani ( fa, حسین سجادی قائم‌مقامی فراهانی, better known by his pen name Kader Abdolah ( fa, قادر عبدالله, links=no) (Arak, 12 November 1954), is an Iranian-Dutch writer, poe ...

(born 1954), poet and columnist * Michèle Van de Roer (born 1956), artist, designer, photographer and engraver *

Mariska Hulscher Mariska Hulscher (born 8 March 1964, in Delft) is a Dutch TV presenter who worked for the NCRV, RTL 4, and RTL 5. Hulscher is also a columnist for a variety of magazines, and works as a divorce coach. Education, career After getting her VWO dip ...

(born 1964), TV presenter *

Wessel van Diepen Wessel Dietrich van Diepen (born 12 November 1966) is a Dutch radio host, music producer, voice actor and former TV presenter. Under the pseudonym DJ Delmundo, he is part of Danski & Delmundo, the production duo behind internationally famous act ...

(born 1966), radio host, music producer and former TV presenter * Rob Das (born 1969), film and TV actor, director and writer * Jan-Willem van Ewijk (born 1970), film director, actor and screenwriter * Ricky Koole (born 1972) a Dutch singer and film actress *

Vincent de Moor Vincent de Moor (; born 1973, Delft, Netherlands) is a Dutch trance artist. He is most notable for his work with the record producer Ferry Corsten under the working title, " Veracocha," and for his 2001 single, "Fly Away". Musical career Early ...

(born 1973),

trance music Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged from the British new-age music scene and the early 1990s German techno and hardcore scenes. Trance music is characterized by a tempo generally lying between 135–150 beats per minut ...

ian and remixer * Roel van Velzen (born 1978), singer *

Marly van der Velden Marly van der Velden (born 6 January 1988 in Delft) is a Dutch actress and fashion designer. Biography van der Velden enjoyed dancing from a young age; at the age of 15 in 2003 she took part as a Latin dancer in the Dutch championships for debu ...

(born 1988), actress and fashion designer

Sport

* Jan Thomée (1886–1954), footballer, team bronze medallist at the 1908 Summer Olympics * Henri van Schaik (1899–1991), horse rider, team silver medallist in the 1936 Summer Olympics *

Tinus Osendarp Martinus "Tinus" Bernardus Osendarp (21 May 1916 – 20 June 2002) was a Dutch sprint runner. Sporting career Osendarp was a football player and started training in sprint for fun. His first international success came at the 1934 European Champi ...

(1916–2002), sprint runner, twice bronze medallist at the 1936 Summer Olympics * Stien Kaiser (born 1938), speed skater, twice bronze medallist at the

1968 Winter Olympics The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (french: Les Xes Jeux olympiques d'hiver), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchm ...

and gold and silver medallist in the

1972 Winter Olympics The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially the and commonly known as Sapporo 1972 ( ja, 札幌1972), was a winter multi-sport event held from February 3 to 13, 1972, in Sapporo, Japan. It was the first Winter Olympic Games to take place outside Euro ...

* Pieter van der Kruk (born 1941), heavyweight weightlifter and shot putter, competed at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

Jan Timman Jan Timman (born 14 December 1951) is a Dutch chess grandmaster who was one of the world's leading chess players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career, he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known a ...

(born 1951), chess grandmaster, raised in Delft *

Ria Stalman Maria "Ria" Geertruida Stalman (born 11 December 1951) is a retired discus thrower and shot putter from the Netherlands. Biography She won the gold medal in the discus throw at the 1984 Summer Olympics, which earned her the Dutch Sportswoman ...

(born 1951), discus thrower and shot putter, gold medallist in the discus at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

* Frank Leistra (born 1960), field hockey goalkeeper, team bronze medallist at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

* Ken Monkou (born 1964), football player with 356 club caps * Eeke van Nes (born 1969), rower, team bronze medallist at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

and team silver medallist at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

* Thamar Henneken (born 1979), freestyle swimmer, team silver medallist at the

* Ard van Peppen (born 1985), footballer with over 350 club caps *

Sytske de Groot Sytske de Groot (born 3 April 1986 in Delft) is a Dutch rower. She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics where she won the bronze medal in the Women's eight. As of 2012, she was a student of marine engineering at Delft University of Techn ...

(born 1986), rower, team bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics *

Aaron Meijers Aaron Meijers (born 28 October 1987) is a Dutch professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Full back (association football), left back for Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam. He formerly played for FC Volendam, RKC Waalwijk and ADO ...

(born 1987), footballer with almost 400 club caps *

Michaëlla Krajicek Michaëlla Krajicek ( cz, Michaela Krajíčková; born 9 January 1989) is a Dutch former tennis player. She won three singles and five doubles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as one WTA 125 doubles title, and 14 singles and 22 doubles titles on ...

(born 1989), tennis player *

Arantxa Rus Arantxa Rus (; born 13 December 1990) is a Dutch tennis player. In 2008, she won the girl's singles title at the Australian Open, defeating Jessica Moore from Australia in the final. With this win she went from 35th to second place on the junio ...

(born 1990), tennis player *

Victoria Pelova Victoria Pelova (; born 3 June 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the Netherlands national team. Career Pelova represented Netherlands at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World ...

(born 1999), football player * Tijmen van der Helm (born 2004), racing driver

Miscellaneous

Nuna Nuna is the name of a series of manned solar powered race cars that have won the World Solar Challenge in Australia seven times: in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015 and 2017. The vehicles are built by students who are part of the "Brunel Sola ...

is a series of manned solar-powered vehicles, built by students at the Delft University of Technology, that won the

World solar challenge The World Solar Challenge (WSC), since 2013 named Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, is an international event for solar powered cars driving 3000 kilometres through the Australian outback. With the exception of a four-year gap between ...

in Australia seven times in the last nine competitions (in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015 and 2017). *The so-called " Superbus" project aims to develop high-speed coaches capable of speeds of up to together with the supporting infrastructure including special highway lanes constructed separately next to the nation's highways; this project was led by Dutch astronaut professor

Wubbo Ockels Wubbo Johannes Ockels (28 March 1946 – 18 May 2014) was a Dutch physicist and astronaut with the European Space Agency who, in 1985, became the first Dutch citizen in space when he flew on STS-61-A as a payload specialist. He later becam ...

of the Delft University of Technology. *Members of both Delft Student Rowing Clubs

Proteus-Eretes ) , emblem = , image = , blade_image = Proteusblad.jpg , motto = , location = Delft, Netherlands , coordinates = , home_water = , founded = Merger of VRV Proteus and DSR Eretes i ...

and Laga have won many international trophies, including Olympic medals, in the past. *The Human Power Team Delft & Amsterdam, a team consisting mainly of students from the Delft University of Technology, has won The World Human Powered Speed Challenge (WHPSC) four times. This is an international contest for

recumbents A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons: the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by b ...

in the US state of Nevada, the aim of which is to break speed records. They set the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

of 133.78 kilometres an hour (83.13 mph) in 2013.

International relations

Twin towns

Delft is twinned with:

Transport

Delft railway station Delft is the main railway station of the city of Delft, South Holland, Netherlands. It is located on the oldest railway line in the country, between the stations of The Hague Central and Rotterdam Central. Along with a new 2.3 km rail tu ...

; (As of February 2015, located in a new building.) * Delft Campus railway station Trains stopping at these stations connect Delft with, among others, the nearby cities of

and

, as often as every five minutes, for most of the day. There are several bus routes from Delft to similar destinations.

Tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

s frequently travel between Delft and

via special double tracks crossing the city.

Gallery

Notes

References

External links

Municipal Website of Delft
*

Radio Netherlands Radio Netherlands (RNW; nl, Radio Nederland Wereldomroep) was a public radio and television network based in Hilversum, producing and transmitting programmes for international audiences outside the Netherlands from 1947 to 2012. Its services i ...

The day the world came to an end
* National Gallery, London
A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654TU Delft Develop Ambulance Drone
{{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland Industrial fires and explosions