Amsterdam Hofjes Are Architectural Wonders Built For The Underprivileged

Amsterdam hofjes refer to certain beautiful courtyards hidden behind massive house fronts.

Hofjes are constructions of the middle ages and they provide shelter to the elderly group of the population (mostly aged women).

The maintenance of the hofjes depend a lot on the private funds and they serve best as a form of social security to the homeless and neglected.

Most hofjes are U-shaped with a yard or a garden standing in the middle and with an entrance gate. The formations of the hofjes have been much inspired by the ancient Begijnenhofjes – some religion based women communities.

The only difference between Begijnenhofjes and contemporary Amsterdam hofjes is that the former were only used by self-supporting catholic women.

If you want to stay in these hofjes, you have to meet four basic criterions, like:

• Religion – People of same faith were founders of several hofjes. Some hofjes were even founded by church communities.

• Socio-economic background – Hofjes were mainly built for the underprivileged and poorer section of the society. However, during the eighteenth century some hofjes were founded for commercial reasons. The rule was, those who would like to stay in hofjes have to pay rent

• Sex – Almost all hofjes were meant for women. This was done mainly because the female section of the society could be trusted for maintaining a homely atmosphere wherever they lived

• Age – People living in hofjes have to be more than fifty years of age. In fact, hofjes are basically old-age homes

Amsterdam hofjes are also known as guesthouses and widow’s houses or rooms. Some popular hofjes in Amsterdam include

• Nieuwe Suykerhofje – This is an 18th Century hofje situated on the Prinsengracht. Gerrit. ten Sanden and his wife founded this hofje in 1755 for accommodating the young section of the society. Nieuwe Suykerhofje now lies empty.

• Begijnhof – It is one of those hofjes in Amsterdam, which came into being during the Middle Ages. The famous wooden house also known as Houten Huys in Begijnhof is one of the most notable wooden houses in the whole of Netherlands

• Van Brants-Rushofje – Christoffel Brants laid the foundation of this hofje on 20th May 1732. This hofje was meant for Lutheran poor women. Daniël Marot was the famous architect who added marvel to the formations of this spectacular hofje.

Other than these, the Looyershofje and Raepenhofje are the other two significant Amsterdam hofjes.

Brimming with traditionalism and smelling of antiquity, the Amsterdam hofjes have been the resting grounds of poor helpless women and this is what makes the hofjes so special.

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