History of The Hague

The history of The Hague began in the 13th century when the ‘village van der Haghe’ (hedge) was chosen as the site for a hunting lodge by the Counts of Holland.  Noblemen built grand houses near this settlement and a village for traders and craftsmen slowly developed. In 1248, William II, a German king who was soon to be crowned emperor, began the construction of a castle on the Binnenhof. Instead of building the imperial castle in one of the existing Dutch towns, he chose for political reasons, to build it in the forest. Before he was crowned emperor he died in a battle against the Westfrisians. William's son, Floris V, added the massive Knights' Hall (Ridderzaal), expanding a complex that is, today, the heart of the country's administrative government.

Around 1300 Holland became part of the county 'Zeeland, Henegouwen en Holland'. As a result The Hague lost some of its importance as a government centre. Nevertheless, the 'Stadhouders', the successors of the Counts, continued to live in The Hague. Riviervismarkt, Groenmarkt, Halstraatje, Papestraat and Nobelstraat are some of the streets from this period which still exist today.

Charter

Attempts by The Hague to obtain a Charter were continuously thwarted. Charters entitled medieval villages to erect defence walls and dig moats to protect their citizens. It also gave villages certain privileges, including the right to administer justice.  In the 16th century, when The Hague finally received permission for fortification, they chose to build a town hall instead of defensive walls. It was a decision they would regret as the town was unable to protect itself during the Eighty Year's War with the Spanish later in the 16th century.  The entire population had to flee and much of the town was burnt down. The only buildings left standing were the castle, the big church and the new city hall. Almost everything else was gone or at least badly damaged. After the war, The Hague became the government centre of the Republic and the residence of the Princes of Orange.

During the French occupation, at the end of the 18th century, Lodewijk Bonaparte (brother of Napoleon) became the first king of the former Republic and the country was now called 'Kingdom of Holland'. Although The Hague was in fact the capital of the nation, it was not officially a city. Bonaparte granted it city status, giving it all the rights that other cities had. It didn't last very long however, as the constitutional distinction between villages and towns disappeared. They all became municipalities and in 1814, the Netherlands became an independent kingdom with The Hague as Residence and Amsterdam as Capital. In 1830 the Southern Netherlands made it clear that they wanted to become independent, and went on to become known as Belgium.

So far, The Hague had grown gradually but this changed in the 19th century under the influence of the Industrial Revolution. Like many other cities, The Hague attracted migrants from the countryside. In the 19th century the city grew from about 45.000 to 200.000 inhabitants.

World Wars

During the 20th century the shape of the city changed a lot, mainly due to destruction in the war and construction developments over the subsequent decades.  The Dutch were neutral in World War I and escaped the devastation seen in many other countries. They hoped to stay neutral in World War II, but the country was attacked by Nazi-Germany and easily captured. The Germans destroyed a lot of the 19th century part of The Hague near Scheveningen.  Sadly, allied forces mistakenly bombed the Bezuidenhout and parts of the 17th century town. Many great buildings were destroyed and never rebuilt.

Today, The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government, home of the royal family and capital of the Province Suid Holland. It is a city with international character, demonstrated by the presence of around 80 embassies and consulates. It is also the host of the International Court of Justice.