Dordrecht, oldest city of Holland
Ancient History of Dordrecht
The first official written mention of Dordrecht dates from 980 A.D., where
it is called 'Thuredriht', a name most likely referring to a ford - 'driht'
or 'drecht' being an evolution of 'trajectum' - in a certain river 'Thure',
no longer in existence, most likely part of the Voorstraat harbor also called
the Old harbor, or for that matter near the dwelling of a fisherman, or whatever
of that name. Even the old German thunder god 'Thor' has put forth a claim to
the title. The name of the settlement, however, seems to have been in use for
centuries before. Thor or Thur(e) - driht from the middle ages became Dordrecht.
From the 10th century onward the Counts of Holland and their court often stayed
at Dordrecht. (see Holland history part
2)
In accordance to historians the town charter of Dordrecht was granted in
1220 by Count William I
of Holland (1168-1222).
In other writings we can find proof that Dordrecht was already a city who
was aloud to trade goods in 1200, by Theodore, Count of Holland, another name
for Dirk VII (1165-1203),
he was married with Alida or Adeleide, a strong ambitious woman as you can see
in the text that follows :
Grant of a Hanse to the Citizens of Dortrecht
thanks to
Medieval Sourcebook
Theodore, Count of Holland: Grant of a Hanse to the Citizens of Dortrecht,
1200.
The townsmen of Dortrecht were organized in a gild which they called a "hanse".
I, Theodore, by the grace of God, Count of Holland,
and Adelaide, Countess of Holland, my wife, wish it to be known to all,
both present and future, that we decree that our townsmen of Dortrecht may enjoy
in their own right the following freedom in the said town, namely, that it is
permitted to no one in Dortrecht to cut cloth for retail sale except to those
who are designated by this trade, being called cutters of cloth, and except
they be in the hanse and fraternity of the townsmen belonging to Dortrecht.
And that this charter, instituted by us, may forever be secure and intact,
we corroborate it by affixing our seals thereto, and the signatures of witnesses.
These are the witnesses, etc.,..........
Source.
From: C. Gross, The Gild Merchant, (Oxford: Clarendon
Press, 1890), Vol. I, p. 293, reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H. Coulson,
A Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing
Co., 1936; reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), p. 219.
Some historians even believes that Dordrecht is much older because early
writings about Thuredriht, sometimes mentioned as modern Vlaardingen ?, is likely
the same place. In that case Dordrecht dates from about 980. Other writings
stated that Count Dirk III
of Holland (993)-1039) founded Dortrecht (Dordrecht) in 1015 and made it his
residence.
In the Middle Ages several cities already existed south of the Lowlands (Now
Belgium, France and Germany), like Luik (Liege), Metz, Achen (Aken), Koln (Keulen),
Maastricht, Ghent (Gent) and in the Lowlands itself for instance Utrecht. It
is even possible that Dordrecht also was grown to a city like these cities but
that has never been proven so-far. In my opinion is it possible that Dordrecht
as settlement at the border of the river Thur(e) dates from before 1000 AD.
During archeological excavations in the 20th century in the old city center
the archeologists found foundations of buildings they never expected. In the
last 100 years there are more and more rumors that the Big Church is not the
first Church on the same spot, the Old Court, the Agustijner Church, and the
Nieuwe (New) Church and other old buildings are probably not the first on their
respective spot either.
Of course it's impossible to dig on these spots without demolishing the present
buildings so we will never know. Keep also in mind that it was usual in the
Middle Ages that, when attacked by foreign enemies, the conquerors burned the
conquered places to the ground and rebuild it in their own way. The ruins of
Castle "Huis te Merwede" is one of the buildings of which the age is uncertain
until this day. There were more Castles build on the same spot, the first about
1015.
The fact that Count Dirk
IV of Holland was attacked and killed in 1049 at Dordrecht by the army of
the Bishops of Metz, Luik (Liege) and Utrecht can only be explained when Dordrecht
was already an important place in those days (1049). His successor, Count
Dirk VII of Holland, also
died at Dordrecht in 1203, this can be proof again that the city was an important
meeting place for the Counts of Holland in the Middle Ages (11th-13th century).
In my opinion was Dordrecht already a City in 1015 (given by
Count Dirk III of Holland,
who belonged to "The House of Frisia-Hollad", and became a "real" City when
the Counts of Holland, who belonged to "The House of Holland", introduced "city-rights"
(civic privileges or Stapelrecht) from 1200 on, see the story above.
The first Hanse of 1200 that was granted was the Cloth-trade by Count Theodore
(Dirk VII) of Holland and in 1220 the Hanse for the Wine trade was granted by
Count William I of Holland,
after he returned from the Holy Land. From 1295 on the Wool-trade was granted
by Count Floris V and King
Edward I of England.
So the "real" city-rights given by the Counts of Holland belonging to
the House of Holland dates thus from 1015 and the first city rights (civic privilege)
from 1220.
Keep in mind that there are older cities in Western Europe who became cities
much earlier, prove that "city rights" were not a monopoly of the Counts of
Holland alone but these rights were given by ALL nobles (Counts, Dukes and Kings)
in those days and were granted to places with important roads, waterways and
strategic locations, all over Europe and not only in the Lowlands.
With other words :
The first (original) city-right was granted in 1015 (by The House of Frisia-Holland).
The second city-right (civic privilege or Stapelrecht) was granted in
1200 (by The House of Holland).
Dordrecht had already city-rights when the Counts of "The House of Holland"
came to power in the 10th century. Dordrecht is at this moment thus nearly
1,000 years old (in 2015) and as settlement probably 1,200 years old.
Dordrecht as Toll Place, center of Wool and Wine trade and Financial center
of Holland
1. Toll and trade center
Consequentially the town took an important role in the trade of luxury goods,
particularly wine. By the end of the 13th century Dordrecht lost the Hanse of
the Wool-trade to Mechelen (Flanders) because Count Floris V choice the side
of the French King Philip IV but stayed aloud to trade wool in the Northern
Lowlands, a compromise between the Count of Holland and Brabant, The Hanse for
the Wine-trade should stay at Dordrecht until 1795.
Count Dirk III (Hierosolymitas)
of Frisia-Holland (993-1039) made Dordrecht a center of their toll system en
build the first Castle "Huis te Merwede" and made the Castle his residence.
Several successors had their residence at this Castle until
Count Dirk V (1061-1091).
Count Floris II (1091-1121)
was the first Count who moved to The Hague.
Count William I of Holland
(1204-1222) mad Dordrecht an emporium of the Wine-trade from the Rhineland and
beyond. Every cask of wine had to be unloaded in Dordrecht and put into storage
for public sale during eight days, before it was allowed to be transported elsewhere.
And we're not talking of childish quantities! Emiel Havers of the Society
'Old Dordrecht' calculated the amount of wine 'flowing' through Dordrecht in
the 1531-1532 season must have run into a million liters at the least, which
equals an odd 265,000 wine gallons, or for those of you who only know their
gallons from the gas station, 220,000 gallons.
Anyway, this swig of wine would fill up two eight-lane Olympic swimming pools
of 50 meters to overflowing! No wonder, the street parallel to the Old Harbor
is called Wijnstraat - Wine Street - and there's almost no house in it without
a wine cellar. This edict from the 13th century laid the foundation for the
town's wine-besprinkled affluence during the following ages, until the French
revolutionary army crossed the frozen rivers of Holland in 1795, and discarded
all privileges of the 'Ancient Régime', including those of Dordrecht. From then
on the cellars stayed empty.
For those of you who can read Dutch, an interesting, and even humorous account
of the history of Dordrecht, and much more, can be enjoyed at the site of Jaap
Bauman at Dordt.nl, from
which I derived part of the above information, as well as some images.
2. Financial center
Because Dordrecht was an important trade city Duke
Albrecht of Bavaria, Count
of Holland, Zeeland and Hainault, ordered to establish "De Munt of Holland"
(The coin-stamp of Holland) In 1366. In 1375 the first coins were stamped for
use in the Lowlands and the Florin, or Guilder (Gulden), was born. In 1555 De
Munt of Holland was enlarged by order of Emperor Charles V (1500-1556) and became
one of the greatest buildings of Dordrecht with a length of about 110 meters.
De Munt of Holland is situated at the Voorstraat (frontside) and the backside
at the Doelstraat. The coins for the Lowlands were stamped at Dordrecht until
1795. In 1807 De Munt was moved to Utrecht. The buildings of the Munt of Holland
are at present day used as Music-school and the Loge of the Freemason of Dordrecht.
De Munt of Dordrecht 1366-1795
The lion of the County of Holland
Click the image to enlarge
The gate to the entrance of De Munt of Holland at the
Voorstraat, in the background the entrance to De Munt. Above the gate is quoted,
freely translated :
"This is the Munt of the Roman Emperor and the County
of Holland"
Click the image to enlarge
De Munt in the 16th century
Click the image to enlarge
De Munt as it was in the 18th century
Click the image to enlarge
De Munt at present day, the top of the gate is replaced
by a window
Click the image to enlarge
Entrance itself to The Munt of Holland
Click the image to enlarge
The Lion of Holland with crown above the entrancea
Click the image to enlarge
Coins stamped at de Munt of Dordrecht
to the left : Golden Wilhelmusgulden (florin) 14th
century
to the right : Silver Leeuwendaalder 16th century
Click the image to enlarge
A copy of the Wilhelmusgulden stamped as a honor to
the Gulden and the introduction of the Euro in 2002
Click the image to enlarge
Golden Coins for other Countries 1776
Click the image to enlarge
Castle "Huis te Merwede"
At the north-east side of Dordrecht, on an abandoned field next to an industrial
area and a prison, between a swampy area and some bushes lies the ruin of Castle
"Huis te Merwede". The name means House at the Merwede river.
By excavations is found that the first stone building that stood at this site was build before 1100 and
probably consisted of a towerhouse at the north-eastern corner and 3 round towers
which were connected by 2 residential buildings and 2 curtain walls.
The Castle was used as a Toll point at the Merwede river and probably also
to protect Dordrecht for enemies from the landside (Gelre).
Click the image to enlarge
It is most certain that the first Castle that stood on this spot was
build By Count Dirk III of Frisa-Holland about 1015 as you could read above.
During the battles of 1049 and 1203 the Castle was damaged or nearly
destroyed but several times rebuild. The fact that these battles took place
there is proof that Dordrecht was an important place at that time.
In the first half of the 14th century (about 1307) a bigger castle was build on the same
site for which the first one was almost completely demolished or was burned
by enemies. At the north-western corner a heavy, brick keep was build of which
the outer walls were decorated with glazed bricks in a wickerwork motif. It's
the remains of this keep that we see today. The founder of this second castle
probably was Lord Daniel van der Merwede who resided in the castle from 1307.
Weapon of the van de Merwede family
Click the image to enlarge
The ruins of Castle "Huis te Merwede" at present day,
at the right picture you can see the glazed bricks in a wickerwork motif.
Click the image to enlarge
In 1410 Margaretha van der Merwede was the sole heiress after the death of
her father. She married Willem van Brederode who gained the fief with the consent
of Count Willem VI of Holland (1365-1417).
In 1418 the city of Dordrecht had been besieged by Duke Jan IV of Brabant
(1403-1427) * who was married with
Jacoba of Bavaria (Beieren) (1401-1436). The young Duke
and his wife had occupied the castle during this siege. After the siege the
inhabitants of the city of Dordrecht destroyed the castle out of revenge during
the so called "Hoekse and Kabeljauwse twisten" (a long period of struggles between
the Hoeken, the County's who were against the Burgundy's and the Dukes of Brabant
and Burgundy (Kabeljauwen). Dordrecht was the center of the Kabeljauwen.
* Commemorative stone originally from the in 1870
demolished Spui gate at the Westside of Dordrecht, since 1974 placed on the
wall at the riverside of the Groothoofds gate at Dordrecht. The text reads
as follows :
In 1418 this city was besieged here by lofty
powerful Duke Jan van Brabant but by the hand of God driven back roughly.
Soli Deo Gloria
Then in 1421 the flood of Saint-Elizabeth came. After this flood the castle
had become a ruin situated on a isolated islet with its foundations washed by
the river Merwede. The castle was never rebuild after that. In 1449 the magistrate
of Dordrecht had forbidden the further use of the ruin as a source of building
materials but this didn't stop the locals.
The ruins of Huis te Merwede after the St. Elisabeth's
flood (1421) surrounded by water
Click the image to enlarge
Huis te Merwede in wintertime on a painting of
Aelbert Cuyp,
about 1650, this painting is private collection.
Click the image to enlarge
Afterwards the local people used the remains of the castle as a quarry for
stone and building materials. This was caused because in those times people
had to pay a so called stone-fine when they had made an offense such as disturbing
the public peace. These stone-fines were given to gather enough building materials
for the partly rebuilding of the Great Church in Dordrecht who was heavy damaged
during a great fire in the center of Dordrecht in 1457.
When the family Van der Merwede had died out the fief was sold to Lodewijk
van Praadt whose family kept possession until 1589. In 1604 the city of Dordrecht
bought the fief.
In 1844 the castle was still situated on an islet. But in the beginning of
the 20th century the land around the castle ruin was reclaimed. It now stands approximately
10 meters from the waterside of the Merwede river.
The ruins of Huis te Merwede at present day at the
river Merwede
Click the image to enlarge
In 1940, 1955 and 1984 archeological excavations took place. They discovered
the foundations of both castles, a flute, a tin jug, a cauldron and all sorts
of pottery. The recovered foundations were covered with soil again to protect
it. In 1971 and 1988 consolidation works took place. All window openings were
closed with brickwork to prevent vandalism.
I hope the local government will do all that's necessary to protect the ruin
against further damage and keep it for the future because of it's importance
for the rich history of Dordrecht.
The ruin is situated in the Staart district, between the prison and the river,
in Dordrecht. It's a little hard to find but worth a visit.
It is freely accessible. No admission fee. But please don't touch it.
Map of Dordrecht in the 17th century
Click the image to enlarge
Lay out of the town as it was in the mid 17th century, situated strategically
at the confluence of three rivers, the Oude Maas, Noord and Merwede.
The map is part of Blaeu's Atlas, 1652, 'Toonneel der Steden', or 'Spectacle
of Towns'. Groningen University scanned 35 original maps in two different formats,
big and huge! I can recommend a visit to their English spoken site.
Click
HERE
and you'll be warped to Dutch fortified towns as they appeared around 1650 in
full color and detail.
So far the history of Dordrecht, next we will take a tour in Dordrecht itself
and we will visit the most important places and famous buildings of the oldest
city of Holland.
Next : Dordrecht Old Buildings
1
A few links, worth a visit :
All about Castles and Ruins
in The Netherlands.
A book in old Dutch (Diets)
Brabantsche yeesten by Jan van Boendale
A site in Dutch about coins
Geld
