Misplaced Pages

#865134

14-580: The torentje (literally turret) is a small octagonal building at the Hofvijver , which is first mentioned in chronicles in 1354 and probably dates from the first half of the 14th century. At the edge of the Parliament Buildings it was originally a summer gazebo for Counts of Holland . It was connected by a drawbridge with the count's garden. At the site of this garden, later east of the Tower

28-571: A number of demonstrations the island has been occupied, and there have been banners displayed on the island. Nowadays the Hofvijver is adjoined in the west by the Buitenhof, but until the 19th century that side was adjoined by houses. The pond is encircled by fairly high quays, but is very shallow on some points. In 2004 an underwater gate was built to make sure that nobody could swim to the prime minister's office without being detected. His office,

42-768: Is a small lake in the centre of The Hague , Netherlands . It is adjoined in the east by the Korte Vijverberg road, in the south by the Binnenhof and the Mauritshuis , in the west by the Buitenhof and in the north by the Lange Vijverberg road. In the middle there is an islet with plants and trees which has no name; it is usually referred to as "the island in the Vijverberg". The term "pond"

56-402: Is a small octagonal building at the Hofvijver , which is first mentioned in chronicles in 1354 and probably dates from the first half of the 14th century. At the edge of the Parliament Buildings it was originally a summer gazebo for Counts of Holland . It was connected by a drawbridge with the count's garden. At the site of this garden, later east of the Tower the Mauritshuis (now a museum)

70-738: Is actually a misnomer, as the Hofvijver has its origin in a natural dune lake fed by the Haagse Beek (Hague Creek, originally Dunecreek) and the, nowadays muted, Bosbeek (Forestcreek) from the Haagse Bos (Hague Forest). The Haagse Beek still feeds the Hofvijver and so the pond is directly connected to the dunes in Kijkduin . In this dune lake there was an island (not the current island in the Hofvijver) on which Willem II built his palace in 1248. Other sources say he built his palace alongside

84-545: The Torentje ("Little Tower"), adjoins the Hofvijver as it is located on the Binnenhof. On the bank across from the Binnenhof (Lange Vijverberg) there is a statue of Jantje (Little John) pointing to the Binnenhof. "Jantje" probably refers to John I, Count of Holland who died at the age of 15 years, and features in a well known Dutch children's song about The Hague. Located next to the Vijverberg are several museums, like

98-617: The House of Representatives . The Tower itself is part of the portfolio of the "Rijksgebouwendienst". The octagonal building has two small floors. On the ground floor the building sports is a small meeting room, the first floor houses the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands who is also Minister of General Affairs . It was first used for this purpose by Ruud Lubbers when he became Prime Minister in 1982; before that it

112-547: The Mauritshuis (now a museum) was built around 1640 as the residence for John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen . The building is part of the Binnenhof complex, the seat of the Dutch parliament ( eerste kamer and tweede kamer ) as well as the ministry of general affairs (housed in het Torentje). East of the Tower is the Mauritshuis and the Grenadiers Gate, that gives access to Parliament Buildings . Directly opposite

126-693: The Mauritshuis , the Gevangenpoort (Prison Gate), the Hague Historical Museum and the Gallery Prince William V . Torentje The Torentje ( Dutch : Het Torentje [ə ˈtoːrə(ɲ)tɕə] ; English: "The Little Tower"), located at the Binnenhof in The Hague next to the Mauritshuis museum, has been the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 1982. The torentje (literally turret)

140-468: The Tower are offices of the House of Representatives . The Tower itself is part of the portfolio of the "Rijksgebouwendienst". The octagonal building has two small floors. On the ground floor the building sports is a small meeting room, the first floor houses the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands who is also Minister of General Affairs . It was first used for this purpose by Ruud Lubbers when he became Prime Minister in 1982; before that it

154-403: The pond and created a moat around it. The city of The Hague celebrated its 700 years of existence in 1948, suggesting that the city itself bases its origin on the building of the palace by Willem II in 1248. Count Albert decided on the rectangular shape in the 14th century. In the 17th century quays were constructed, and in the 19th century the pond was elongated. Up to around 1800 the Binnenhof

SECTION 10

#1732776773866

168-422: Was built around 1640 as the residence for John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen . The building is part of the Binnenhof complex, the seat of the Dutch parliament ( eerste kamer and tweede kamer ) as well as the ministry of general affairs (housed in het Torentje). East of the Tower is the Mauritshuis and the Grenadiers Gate, that gives access to Parliament Buildings . Directly opposite the Tower are offices of

182-407: Was still encircled by a moat and was only accessible by bridges. The island in the Vijverberg, as known in its present form, was only created around 300 years ago. How or why it was created is unknown. In the centre of the island stands a flagpole and the island itself counts a number of trees and small plants. It is not open to the public. Alongside the island there is a fountain set in the water. On

196-613: Was used by the Minister of the Interior as the main office. Since 1982 it has been in continuous use as office of the prime minister and has achieved symbolic status in the Netherlands (the office will be relocated during the large scale renovation of the 800 year old complex). 52°4′49″N 4°18′50″E  /  52.08028°N 4.31389°E  / 52.08028; 4.31389 Hofvijver The Hofvijver ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɔˌfɛivər] ; English: Court Pond )

#865134