01 Feb
01Feb


On our travels to the Netherlands, which has become a favourite destination, we have visited several picturesque towns and cities, each with a rich and often brutal history which belies their tranquil beauty. 

As Brits (or more specifically Scots), one of the first things that strikes you when visiting the Netherlands is that you have arrived in the Land of the Giants. I swear that my neck problems began when trying to address the towering (and often beautiful or handsome) natives of the country which ironically is also known as one of the Low Countries (Nether means ‘low’). It certainly must seem so to the indigenous titans. 

When I am not excitedly searching for a long-lost C&A (while the other half’s eyes raise so high they disappear into his hairline), my other passion is to discover the tales of the paranormal in any given city. We have visited so far, Amsterdam, Delft, Gouda, Haarlem, Utrecht and Leiden during various trips, all dripping with glorious and often bloody history, art and museums. 

While I haven’t discovered any first hand reports of ghost sightings, there are a number of generic stories connected with locations, such as Bloedstraat in Amsterdam where the blood from public executions ran into the nearby canal, or Dam Square where the spirits of those burned as witches by the Spanish Inqusition are said to roam. There is plenty of folklore in the Netherlands which includes witches, a hellhound, a creature of the marshes that rides on the backs of its victims, werewolves and a few regular type ghosts in the Kasteel Dorwerth. People say that Anne Frank’s House in Amsterdam is haunted, as it may well be. However, to my knowledge, there is nothing specifically documented, although the lingering tragedy and the emotions embedded within the walls are sufficient to haunt any visitor who intrudes upon the secret home preserved in time. 

We happened upon Delft for the first time as a day trip when staying in Amsterdam. For those who love the colour and vibrancy of Amsterdam, but not so much the crowds of tourists, hen and stag parties, Delft is the answer. It is a smaller, quieter version of its big sister with similar charming canals, bridges, cafes, restaurants bicycles, and a history all of its own. 


Canal & Canal Boat in Delft. Cheese Shop with Wheels of Gouda in Delft Market Square (Photos - Author's Own).

Delft was established in around 1075 as an important market town and to this day boasts an impressive market square. It is associated with the House of Orange, specifically with William of Orange (aka Willem I & ‘William the Silent’) who lived in a former convent, Saint Agatha from 1572. This later became known as the Prinsenhof which is now a museum in the heart of the city. William of Orange defeated the Spanish occupation of the city in the Battle of Delft in 1573 and Delft subsequently became the capital of the Netherlands presided over by the now, Prince of Orange.

Lane outside the Prinsenhof Museum and Prinsenhof Museum Gardens

William’s peace was short-lived, however, as he was shot dead at the behest of the Spanish at the bottom of the staircase in the hall of the Prinsenhof by Balthazar Gerard and subsequently buried in the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church). More of which later. 

Delft flourished with artisans during the 17th century in such diverse areas as printing, the production of glazed earthenware, known as Delft Blue China, and tapestries, all of which resulted in wealth with the help of the Dutch East India Company. Many artists lived in the city, perhaps the most notable being Johannes Vermeer. 


Traditional 'Proud Mary' statue outside Delft Blue Pottery  and Pyramid Tulip Vase (Above). Delft Blue wares in the Pottery shop. (Photos, author's own).

The ‘Tulip Bubble’ or ‘Tulipmania’ as it became known also created wealth throughout the Netherlands, when the bulbs sold for the price of an Amsterdam mansion, due to speculation and demand pushing its price up unrealistically. Within three years, however, the bubble burst, leaving many who had purchased them on credit, bankrupt, as their value tumbled. 

The humble Tulip could sell for the price of an Amsterdam Mansion (Stock Image from 123 Library).

Delft’s success story was interrupted in 1654 by the infamous Delft Thunderclap, a mighty explosion from the city’s gunpowder store which destroyed swathes of the city, killing over a hundred people and injuring thousands. 

Just from this snapshot of Delft’s history, there is perhaps sufficient turbulence to suggest that it should be a city full of spectres from the past and when we add further details to the history, it should rival any of the most haunted British cities, such as York, Edinburgh or London. 

Let’s look further at the murderer of William (or Willem) I in the Prinsenhof, whose fate would horrify even the most sanguinary of us. 

Willem had angered the King of Spain, Phillip II in 1573, who declared him an Outlaw for defecting from the Roman Catholic Church to the Calvanist Dutch Reformed Church. Balthazar Gerard accepted the challenge from Phillip II, who offered 25,000 crowns to anyone who killed Willem. Having purchased two wheel-lock pistols from a solider, he asked to see Willem, who agreed to meet at the Prinsenhof after lunch. Gerard hid behind a pillar and shot Willem, who died instantly, as he ascended the stairs to his chamber where he worked and slept. The bullet holes can be seen in the wall to this day. 


Bullet holes from the assassination of Prince William I of Orange-Nassau (William the Silent) at the Prinsenhof museum in Delft, The Netherlands. (Photo by Juvarra - Wiki Commons Attribution)

A GRISLY DEATH FOR A BRUTAL ASSASSINATION

Gerard’s punishment was swift and brutal. He was captured immediately and taken to Het Steen, Delft’s stone-built (steen) prison. Gerard confessed instantly in the hope of avoiding torture, however, the judge, convinced he had been working with an accomplice decided to torture him anyway to elicit further information. The grisly details are recorded in the Judicial Archives of the Delft Municipal Archives, first Criminal Book, leaving nothing to the imagination and a description perhaps worthy of its own ‘Saw’ movie. He was whipped and his wounds anointed with honey with the intention (unsuccessful) that a goat would lick it off with its very rough tongue.  Gerard’s hands were tied behind his back and he was hung on a pole with 150kg weights attached to each of his big toes. Next, he was fitted with oiled, uncured leather shoes, which were designed to be too small. His feet were held to the fire, at which point, the leather contracted and crushed his feet, then removed, taking his broiled skin with them. Gerard calmly refused to say anything and so he was burned under the armpits with torches, doused in bacon fat and sharp nails were inserted under the nails of his hands and feet.  On July 14th, 1584, some four days following the death of Willem, Gerard was executed in an equally cruel manner in public view at the Delftse Markt. His right hand (his gun hand) was cut off using a red-hot iron and his muscles were ripped from his bones using red hot pincers in six different places. Whilst still alive, he was hung, drawn, quartered and disembowelled and, with his heart still beating, it was ripped from his body and thrown in his face. 

Today, Delftse Markt square is the focal point of the city with restaurants and cafes in abundance. In the summer, tourists can take in the historic views under parasols while enjoying a meal or perhaps a pint of Amstel, bitterballen (beef & gravy croquettes), poffertjes (mini pancakes), or alternatively, a coffee and a Stroop Wafel. It’s all a far cry from the square’s horrific past when it was once a cemetery. While the gravestones were removed during construction of the square and the nearby Nieuwe Kerk (New Church where Willem is buried), the bodies remained, and several were exhumed by archaeologists in recent years.

Nieuwe Kirk, resting place of Willem I (Photo, Author's Own)

Delft City Chambers with the Het Steen Tower, prison and torture chamber (Photo - Author's Own)

With such a gory history, it is surprising that there is little mention of hauntings in Delft, or indeed the Netherlands. This is perhaps due to the very nature of the Dutch, known for their down to earth, realistic and somewhat sober character. Calvanism, while not prevalent in the more secular Netherlands these days, will undoubtedly still have cultural influences resulting in a sceptical and pragmatic approach to the paranormal, and reliance strictly on evidence upon which to form beliefs. However, within all religions and cultures, belief and fact often compete and the Netherlands does have its share of folklore. 

Ghostly Nuns at the Prinsenhof Museum, a former convent.

Indeed, in the Prinsenhof Museum, it has been said that the ghosts of former nuns can be seen within the building and the surrounding streets, a throwback to its time as the Monastery of St Agatha. Perhaps, Willem I also revisits the scene of his death and those who suffered unimaginable torture and cruel executions still wander the rooms of Het Steen.  Among the visitors to the cheerful square below, where the former graveyard once stood, and where bodies are still likely to rest beneath the cobbles, surely some spirits are tempted by the other type of spirits available in the bars and restaurants which now occupy their resting place.  Given the opportunity, it could, without doubt, be a Paranormal Pursuer’s Paradise for investigation!

The Prinsenhof Museum and the Statue of Willem I in the gardens where ghostly nuns have been reported. (Photos Author's Own)

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