Delft () is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte (river), Rotte'') is the second largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the Prov ...

, to the southeast, and

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

, to the northwest. Together with them, it is part of both the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area and the Randstad. Delft is a popular tourist destination in the Netherlands, famous for its historical connections with the reigning House of Orange-Nassau, for its blue pottery, for being home to the painter Jan Vermeer, and for hosting Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). Historically, Delft played a highly influential role in the Dutch Golden Age. In terms of science and technology, thanks to the pioneering contributions of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and Martinus Beijerinck, Delft can be considered to be the birthplace of microbiology.

History

Early history

The city of Delft came into being beside a canal, the 'Delf', which comes from the word ''delven'', meaning to delve or dig, and this led to the name Delft. At the elevated place where this 'Delf' crossed the creek wall of the silted up river Gantel, a Count established his manor, probably around 1075. Partly because of this, Delft became an important market town, the evidence for which can be seen in the size of its central market square. Having been a rural village in the early Middle Ages, Delft developed into a city, and on 15 April 1246, Count Willem II granted Delft its

city charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document ('' charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charte ...

. Trade and industry flourished. In 1389 the Delfshavensche Schie canal was dug through to the river Maas, where the port of

Delfshaven Delfshaven is a borough of Rotterdam, Netherlands, on the right bank of river Nieuwe Maas. It was a separate municipality until 1886. The town of Delfshaven grew around the port of the city of Delft. Delft itself was not located on a major ...

was built, connecting Delft to the sea. Until the 17th century, Delft was one of the major cities of the then county (and later province) of

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

. In 1400, for example, the city had 6,500 inhabitants, making it the third largest city after

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after ...

(8,000) and Haarlem (7,000). In 1560, Amsterdam, with 28,000 inhabitants, had become the largest city, followed by Delft, Leiden and Haarlem, which each had around 14,000 inhabitants. In 1536, a large part of the city was destroyed by the great fire of Delft. The town's association with the

House of Orange The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands ...

started when William of Orange (Willem van Oranje), nicknamed William the Silent (Willem de Zwijger), took up residence in 1572 in the former Saint-Agatha convent (subsequently called the Prinsenhof). At the time he was the leader of growing national Dutch resistance against Spanish occupation, known as the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Ref ...

. By then Delft was one of the leading cities of

and it was equipped with the necessary city walls to serve as a headquarters. In October 1573, an attack by Spanish forces was repelled in the Battle of Delft. After the Act of Abjuration was proclaimed in 1581, Delft became the ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of the newly independent Netherlands, as the seat of the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The titl ...

. When William was shot dead on 10 July 1584 by Balthazar Gerards in the hall of the Prinsenhof (now the Prinsenhof Museum), the family's traditional burial place in Breda was still in the hands of the Spanish. Therefore, he was buried in the Delft Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), starting a tradition for the House of Orange that has continued to the present day. Around this time, Delft also occupied a prominent position in the field of printing. A number of Italian glazed earthenware makers settled in the city and introduced a new style. The tapestry industry also flourished when famous manufacturer François Spierincx moved to the city. In the 17th century, Delft experienced a new heyday, thanks to the presence of an office of the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

(VOC) (opened in 1602) and the manufacture of Delft Blue china. A number of notable artists based themselves in the city, including Leonard Bramer, Carel Fabritius, Pieter de Hoogh,

Gerard Houckgeest Gerard Houckgeest (c. 1600–August 1661) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of architectural scenes and church interiors. Biography Houckgeest is thought to have been born in The Hague, where, according to the RKD, he learned to paint from Bar ...

Emanuel de Witte Emanuel de Witte (1617–1692) was a Dutch perspective painter. In contrast to Pieter Jansz Saenredam, who emphasized architectural accuracy, De Witte was more concerned with the atmosphere of his interiors. Though few in number, de Witte al ...

Jan Steen Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. Lif ...

, and Johannes Vermeer.

Reinier de Graaf Regnier de Graaf (English spelling), original Dutch spelling Reinier de Graaf, or Latinized Reijnerus de Graeff (30 July 164117 August 1673) was a Dutch physician, physiologist and anatomist who made key discoveries in reproductive biology. He ...

and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek received international attention for their scientific research.

Explosion

The Delft Explosion, also known in history as the Delft Thunderclap, occurred on 12 October 1654 when a

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). T ...

store exploded, destroying much of the city. Over a hundred people were killed and thousands were injured. About of gunpowder were stored in

barrels A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, u ...

in a magazine in a former Clarist

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...

in the Doelenkwartier district, where the Paardenmarkt is now located. Cornelis Soetens, the keeper of the magazine, opened the store to check a sample of the powder and a huge explosion followed. Luckily, many citizens were away, visiting a market in Schiedam or a fair in

. Today, the explosion is primarily remembered for killing Rembrandt's most promising pupil, Carel Fabritius, and destroying almost all of his works. Delft artist

Egbert van der Poel Egbert van der Poel (9 March 1621, in Delft – 19 July 1664, in Rotterdam) was a Dutch Golden Age genre and landscape painter, son of a Delft goldsmith. Life Van der Poel may have been a student of Esaias van de Velde and of Aert van der ...

painted several pictures of Delft showing the devastation. The gunpowder store (Dutch: Kruithuis) was subsequently re-housed, a 'cannonball's distance away', outside the city, in a new building designed by architect Pieter Post.

Sights

Pieter Wouwerman - Gezicht op de Paardenmarkt te Delft

The city centre retains a large number of monumental buildings, while in many streets there are

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface f ...

s of which the banks are connected by typical bridges, altogether making this city a notable tourist destination. Historical buildings and other sights of interest include: * Oude Kerk (Old Church), constructed between 1246 and 1350. Buried here: Piet Hein, Johannes Vermeer, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. * Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), constructed between 1381 and 1496. It contains the Dutch royal family's burial vault which, between funerals, is sealed with a cover stone. *A statue of Hugo Grotius created by in 1886, located on the Markt near the Nieuwe Kerk. *The

Prinsenhof The Prinsenhof ("The Court of the Prince") in the city of Delft in the Netherlands is an urban palace built in the Middle Ages as a monastery. Later it served as a residence for William the Silent. William was assassinated in the Prinsenhof by B ...

(Princes' Court), now a museum. *

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

on the Markt. *The Oostpoort (Eastern gate), built around 1400. This is the only remaining gate of the old city walls. *The Gemeenlandshuis Delfland, or Huyterhuis, built in 1505, which has housed the Delfland regional water authority since 1645. *The Vermeer Centre in the re-built Guild house of St. Luke. *The historical "Waag" building (Weigh house). *Windmill De Roos, a tower mill built c.1760. Restored to working order in 2013. Another windmill that formerly stood in Delft, Het Fortuyn, was dismantled in 1917 and re-erected at the Netherlands Open Air Museum, Arnhem,

Gelderland Gelderland (), also known as Guelders () in English, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by ...

in 1920. *Royal Delft also known as De Porceleyne Fles, is a great place which showcases Delft ware. *Science Center attracts kids as well as adults. File:Delft stadhuis.jpg, Delft City Hall File:Delft poorte.jpg, Eastern Gate (''Oostpoort'') File:Delft Oude Kerk 002.jpg, The Old Church tower File:Oude Langendijk Delft.jpg, Oude Langendijk

Culture

Delft plate faience Famille Rose 1760 1780

Delft is well known for the Delft pottery

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain, ...

products which were styled on the imported Chinese

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...

of the 17th century. The city had an early start in this area since it was a home port of the

. It can still be seen at the pottery factories De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles (or Royal Delft) and De Delftse Pauw, while new ceramics and ceramic art can be found at the Gallery Terra Delft.Kitty Kilian,
10 jaar galerie Terra; Keramisch gezicht op Delft
" ''NRC Handelsblad,'' 23 May 1996. The painter Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) was born in Delft. Vermeer used Delft streets and home interiors as the subject or background in his paintings. Several other famous painters lived and worked in Delft at that time, such as Pieter de Hoogh, Carel Fabritius, Nicolaes Maes, Gerard Houckgeest and Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet. They were all members of the Delft School. The Delft School is known for its images of domestic life and views of households, church interiors, courtyards, squares and the streets of Delft. The painters also produced pictures showing historic events, flowers, portraits for patrons and the court as well as decorative pieces of art. Delft supports creative arts companies. From 2001 the , a building that had been disused since 1951, began to house small companies in the creative arts sector. Its demolition started in December 2009, making way for the new railway tunnel in Delft. The occupants of the building, as well as the name 'Bacinol', moved to another building in the city. The name Bacinol relates to Dutch penicillin research during WWII.

Education

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is one of four universities of technology in the Netherlands. It was founded as an academy for civil engineering in 1842 by King William II. Today, well over 21,000 students are enrolled. The

UNESCO-IHE IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world and is based in Delft, Netherlands. Delft is a world renowned knowledge centre on water infrastructure, technology and sciences, and ...

Institute for Water Education, providing postgraduate education for people from developing countries, draws on the strong tradition in

water management Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; sl ...

and

hydraulic engineering Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the m ...

of the Delft university.

The Hague University of Applied Sciences The Hague University of Applied Sciences ( nl, De Haagse Hogeschool), abbreviated THUAS, is a university of applied sciences with its campuses located in and around The Hague in the Randstad metropolitan region in the west of the Netherlands. Th ...

has a building on the Delft University of Technology campus. It opened in 2009 and offers several bachelor degrees for the Faculty of Technology, Innovation & Society. Inholland University of Applied Sciences also has a building on the Delft University of Technology campus. Several bachelor degrees for the Agri, Food & Life Sciences faculty and the Engineering, Design and Computing faculty are being taught at the Delft campus.

Economy

In the local economic field, essential elements are: *education; (amongst others Delft University of Technology) ( 21.651 students and 4.939 full-time employees), *scientific research; (amongst others "TNO" Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), Stichting Deltares, Nederlands Normalisatie-Instituut,

Institute for water education, Technopolis Innovation Park; *tourism; (about one million registered visitors a year), *industry; (DSM Gist Services BV, ( Delftware) earthenware production by De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, Exact Software Nederland BV, TOPdesk, Ampelmann) *retail; ( IKEA (Inter IKEA Systems B.V., owner and worldwide franchisor of the IKEA Concept, is based in Delft), Makro, Eneco Energy NV).

Nature and recreation

East of Delft lies a relatively large nature and recreation area called the "Delftse Hout" ("Delft Wood"). Through the forest lie bike, horse-riding and footpaths. It also includes a vast lake (suitable for swimming and windsurfing), narrow beaches, a restaurant, and community gardens, plus camping ground and other recreational and sports facilities. (There is also a facility for renting bikes from the station.) Inside the city, apart from a central park, there are several smaller town parks, including "Nieuwe Plantage", "Agnetapark", "Kalverbos". There is also the

Botanical Garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

of the TU and an arboretum in Delftse Hout.

Notable people

Zelfportret van de schilder met zijn gezin Rijksmuseum SK-A-1460

Cropped version of Jan Vermeer van Delft 002

Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt - Hugo Grotius

Frederik Hendrik by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt

Delft is the birthplace of:

Dutch Golden Age

Jacob Willemsz Delff Jacob Willemszoon Delff the Elder, (c. 1550 in Gouda5 May 1601 in Delft)Delff, Jacob Willemsz. (I)
at the Nethe ...

the Elder, (ca. 1550–1601), portrait painter *

Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt Michiel Janszoon van Mierevelt, often abbreviated as Michiel Jansz. and the surname also spelled Miereveld or Miereveldt, (; 1 May 1566 – 27 June 1641) was a Dutch painter and draftsman of the Dutch Golden Age. Biography Van Mierevelt was ...

(1567–1641), painter *

Willem van der Vliet Willem van der Vliet (c. 1584 – 6 December 1642) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Biography Van der Vliet was born and died in Delft. According to Houbraken his paintings are historical allegories and portraits. Records of his paintings ar ...

(c. 1584–1642), painter *

Adriaen van de Venne Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne (1589 – 12 November 1662), was a versatile Dutch Golden Age painter of allegories, genre subjects, and portraits, as well as a miniaturist, book illustrator, designer of political satires, and versifier. Biog ...

(1589–1662), painter * Adriaen Cornelisz van Linschoten (1590–1677), painter * Daniël Mijtens (ca. 1590–1647/48), portrait painter *

Leonaert Bramer Leonaert Bramer, also Leendert or Leonard (24 December 1596 – before 10 February 1674 (date of burial)),Leonaert Bramer< ...

(1596–1674), painter of genre, religious, and history paintings *

Pieter Jansz van Asch Pieter Jansz van Asch (1603 – 6 June 1678 (buried)) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Biography He was born at Delft, the son of the portrait painter Jan van Asch and joined the Guild of St. Luke in 1623.Evert van Aelst Evert van Aelst, sometimes known as Everard Aalst, (1602 in Delft – 19 February 1657 in Delft) was a Dutch still life painter. Van Aelst was the uncle and teacher of Willem van Aelst. Both were famous for their still life paintings of game, ...

(1602–1657), still life painter * Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet (ca. 1611–1675), painter of church interiors *

Harmen Steenwijck Harmen Steenwijck or Harmen Steenwyck ( 1612 – after 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialised in still life painting, especially in the style of Dutch vanitas. Early life Steenwyck was born in Delft, 1612. He was the brother of ...

(ca. 1612–ca. 1656), painter of still lifes and fruit *

Jacob Willemsz Delff the Younger Jacob Willemsz Delff the Younger (1619, Delft – 1661, Delft), was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter. Biography According to Houbraken he won a lucrative commission from the Delft ''vroedschap'' to repair his grandfather's schutterstuk a ...

(1619–1661), portrait painter * David Beck (1621–1656), portrait painter *

(1621–1664), genre and landscape painter *

Daniel Vosmaer Daniël Vosmaer (c. 1630 in Delft – after 1666 in Den Briel), was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Biography According to the RKD, he was the son of the silversmith Arent Wouteresz, the younger brother of Abraham, the nephew of Jacob Vosmaer, ...

(1622–1666), painter *

Willem van Aelst Willem van Aelst (16 May 1627 – buried 22 May 1683)Aelst, Willem van

(1627–1683), artist of still-lifes *

Hendrick van der Burgh Hendrick van der Burgh (1627 – after 1664), was a Dutch Golden Age genre painter. Biography According to the Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD) he was born in Delft and was a member of the same "school" or artistic style as Piet ...

(1627–after 1664), genre painter * Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675), painter of domestic interior scenes * Ary de Milde (1634–1708), ceramist

Public thinking and service

* Christian van Adrichem (1533—1585), Catholic priest and theological writer * Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn (1556–1623), one of the first Dutchmen in Japan * Hugo Grotius (1583–1645), humanist, diplomat, lawyer, theologian and jurist who laid the foundations for

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

* Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (1584–1647), sovereign

prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The titl ...

and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders & Overijssel from 1625 to 1647 * Philippus Baldaeus (1632–1671), minister in Jaffna *

Diederik Durven Diederik Durven (13 September 1676 – 26 February 1740) was a Dutch colonial administrator and Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1729 to 1732. Durven studied Law at Leiden University where he graduated on 19 July 1702. He became an a ...

(1676–1740), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1729 to 1732 * Abraham van der Weijden (1743–1773), ship's captain, initiated of

Freemasonry in South Africa Freemasonry was brought to South Africa by members of the Grand Orient of the Netherlands in 1772. Today there are lodges chartered under the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the Grand Lodge ...

Gerrit Paape Gerrit Paape (Delft, 4 February 1752 – The Hague, 7 December 1803) was a Dutch ''plateelschilder'' (painter of earthenware and stoneware), poet, journalist, novelist, judge, columnist and (at the end of his career) ministerial civil servant. Li ...

(1752–1803), painter of earthenware and stoneware, poet, journalist, novelist, judge, columnist and finally a ministerial civil servant * Aegidius van Braam (1758–1822), naval vice-admiral *

Agneta Matthes Agneta Wilhelmina Johanna van Marken-Matthes (4 October 1847 – 5 October 1909) was a Dutch entrepreneur. She and her husband were involved in the manufacture of yeast throughout their lives, and were engaged in the co-operative movement, ta ...

(1847–1909), entrepreneur, manufactured yeast using the cooperative movement and housed workers at Agnetapark *

Henk Zeevalking Hendrik Jan "Henk" Zeevalking (7 June 1922 – 23 February 2005) was a Dutch politician and co-founder of the Democrats 66 (D66) party and jurist. Zeevalking attended a Gymnasium in Utrecht from April 1934 until June 1940 and applied at the Utr ...

(1922–2005), politician and jurist * Piet Bukman (born 1934), politician and diplomat * Klaas de Vries (born 1943), politician and jurist * Atzo Nicolaï (born 1960), politician *

Marja van Bijsterveldt Janneke Marlene "Marja" van Bijsterveldt-Vliegenthart (born 27 June 1961) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). She has been mayor of Delft since 2 September 2016. Early life Van Bijsterveldt attended nursing school ...

(born 1961), politician, Mayor of Delft since 2016 * Alexander Pechtold (born 1965, politician and art historian

Science and business

* Adolphus Vorstius (1597–1663), physician and botanist *

Martin van den Hove Martin (Maarten) van den Hove ( Latinized as Martinus Hortensius (Ortensius)) (1605 – 7 August 1639) was a Dutch astronomer and mathematician. His adopted Latin name is a translation of the Dutch ''hof'' ("garden"), in Latin ''horta''. Earl ...

(1605–1639), astronomer and mathematician * Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723), father of microbiology and developer of the

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisi ...

* Nicolaas Kruik (1678–1754), land surveyor, cartographer, astronomer, weatherman and eponym of the

Museum De Cruquius The Museum De Cruquius (or Cruquiusmuseum) occupies the old Cruquius steam pumping station in Cruquius, the Netherlands. It derives its name from Nicolaas Kruik (1678–1754), a Dutch land-surveyor and one of many promoters of a plan to pump ...

* Martin van Marum (1750–1837), physician, inventor, scientist and teacher *

Jacob Gijsbertus Samuël van Breda Jacob Gijsbertus Samuël van Breda (24 October 1788, in Delft – 2 September 1867, in Haarlem) was a Dutch biologist and geologist. Jacob was the son of Jacob van Breda, a Dutch physician, physicist and politician, and Anna Elsenera van Campen. ...

(1788–1867), biologist and geologist *

Philippe-Charles Schmerling Philippe-Charles or Philip Carel Schmerling (2 March 1791 Delft – 7 November 1836, Liège) was a Dutch/ Belgian prehistorian, pioneer in paleontology, and geologist. He is often considered the founder of paleontology. In 1829 he discovered ...

(1791–1836), prehistorian, geologist and pioneer in

paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

* Martinus Beijerinck (1851–1931), microbiologist, discovered

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsk ...

es, lived and worked in Delft *

Guillaume Daniel Delprat Guillaume Daniel Delprat CBE (1 September 1856 – 15 March 1937) was a Dutch- Australian metallurgist, mining engineer, and businessman. He was a developer of the froth flotation process for separating minerals. Delprat was born in Delft, th ...

CBE (1856–1937), metallurgist, mining engineer and businessman * Frederik H. Kreuger (1928–2015), high-voltage scientist, academic and inventor *

Marjo van der Knaap Marjo S. van der Knaap (born 9 May 1958) is a Dutch professor of pediatric neurology at VU University Amsterdam and the VU University Medical Center. She was a winner of the 2008 Spinoza Prize. Her research focuses on white matter disorders. Ea ...

(born 1958), professor of pediatric neurology,

white matter White matter refers to areas of the central nervous system (CNS) that are mainly made up of myelinated axons, also called tracts. Long thought to be passive tissue, white matter affects learning and brain functions, modulating the distribu ...

researcher *

Peter Schrijver Peter Schrijver (; born 1963) is a Dutch linguist. He is a professor of Celtic languages at Utrecht University and a researcher of ancient Indo-European linguistics. He worked previously at Leiden University and the Ludwig Maximilian University ...

(born 1963), historical linguist * Ionica Smeets (born 1979), mathematician, science journalist, TV presenter and academic * Boyan Slat (born 1994), inventor and entrepreneur, CEO of The Ocean Cleanup

Art

* Suzanne Manet (1829–1906), pianist, wife and model of painter

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Bor ...

Betsy Perk Christina Elizabeth (Betsy) Perk (Delft, March 26, 1833 - Nijmegen, March 30, 1906), was a Dutch author of novels and plays, and a pioneer of the Dutch women's movement, who wrote under the pen names Philemon, Liesbeth van Altena, and Spirito. She ...

(1833–1906), author of novels and plays, pioneer of the Dutch women's movement *

Ton Lutz Antonius Cornelis "Ton" Lutz (17 June 1919, in Delft – 3 May 2009, in Amsterdam) was a Dutch actor and artistic leader. His two younger brothers, Luc and Pieter, were also actors, as well as his nephew Joris Lutz. He was married to actress Ann ...

(1919–2009) and Pieter Lutz (1927–2009), brothers and actors * Bram Bogart (1921–2012), expressionist painter of the COBRA group * Cor Dam (born 1935), sculptor, painter, illustrator and ceramist *

Kader Abdolah Hossein Sadjadi Ghaemmaghami Farahani ( fa, حسین سجادی قائم‌مقامی فراهانی, better known by his pen name Kader Abdolah ( fa, قادر عبدالله, links=no) (Arak, 12 November 1954), is an Iranian-Dutch writer, poet ...

(born 1954), poet and columnist * Michèle Van de Roer (born 1956), artist, designer, photographer and engraver *

Mariska Hulscher Mariska Hulscher (born 8 March 1964, in Delft) is a Dutch TV presenter who worked for the NCRV, RTL 4, and RTL 5. Hulscher is also a columnist for a variety of magazines, and works as a divorce coach. Education, career After getting her VWO dipl ...

(born 1964), TV presenter * Wessel van Diepen (born 1966), radio host, music producer and former TV presenter * Rob Das (born 1969), film and TV actor, director and writer * Jan-Willem van Ewijk (born 1970), film director, actor and screenwriter *

Ricky Koole Ricky Koole (born 11 September 1972) is a Dutch singer and film actress. She appeared in more than forty films since 1996. Personal life and career Koole graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of the Arts from the ''Kleinkunstacademie'' in Amsterdam ...

(born 1972) a Dutch singer and film actress * Vincent de Moor (born 1973), trance musician and remixer *

Roel van Velzen Roel van Velzen (; born 20 March 1978), better known as VanVelzen, is a Dutch singer-songwriter. Besides being known for his short stature, he and his band enjoy a huge live reputation; they have played at virtually every festival in the Nether ...

(born 1978), singer * Marly van der Velden (born 1988), actress and fashion designer

Sport

Jan Thomée Johannes "Jan" Thomée (4 December 1886 – 1 April 1954) was a Dutch footballer. He was born and died in Delft. He was included in the Netherlands national team for the 1908 Summer Olympics that won the bronze medal. Thomée became the ...

(1886–1954), footballer, team bronze medallist at the 1908 Summer Olympics * Henri van Schaik (1899–1991), horse rider, team silver medallist in the 1936 Summer Olympics * Tinus Osendarp (1916–2002), sprint runner, twice bronze medallist at the 1936 Summer Olympics * Stien Kaiser (born 1938), speed skater, twice bronze medallist at the

1968 Winter Olympics The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (french: Les Xes Jeux olympiques d'hiver), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchm ...

and gold and silver medallist in the

1972 Winter Olympics The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially the and commonly known as Sapporo 1972 ( ja, 札幌1972), was a winter multi-sport event held from February 3 to 13, 1972, in Sapporo, Japan. It was the first Winter Olympic Games to take place outside Euro ...

Pieter van der Kruk Pieter "Piet" van der Kruk (13 August 1941 – 4 June 2020) was a Dutch heavyweight weightlifter and shot putter. He won five national weightlifting titles (1964, 1965, 1967–1969) and four shot put titles (1964, 1965, 1967 and 1969), and held ...

(born 1941), heavyweight weightlifter and shot putter, competed at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport ev ...

* Jan Timman (born 1951), chess grandmaster, raised in Delft *

Ria Stalman Maria "Ria" Geertruida Stalman (born 11 December 1951) is a retired discus thrower and shot putter from the Netherlands. Biography She won the gold medal in the discus throw at the 1984 Summer Olympics, which earned her the Dutch Sportswoman of ...

(born 1951), discus thrower and shot putter, gold medallist in the discus at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

* Frank Leistra (born 1960), field hockey goalkeeper, team bronze medallist at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

Ken Monkou Kenneth John Monkou (born 29 November 1964) is a Dutch former professional footballer and pundit. As a player, he was as a centre-back who notably played in the Premier League for both Chelsea and Southampton, where he played just under 300 lea ...

(born 1964), football player with 356 club caps *

Eeke van Nes Eeke Geertruida van Nes (born 17 April 1969) is a retired rower from the Netherlands. She won three Olympic medals, a bronze in the double sculls in 1996, with Irene Eijs, and two silver medals in 2000, in eights and double sculls. Between 199 ...

(born 1969), rower, team bronze medallist at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

and team silver medallist at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

* Thamar Henneken (born 1979), freestyle swimmer, team silver medallist at the

* Ard van Peppen (born 1985), footballer with over 350 club caps * Sytske de Groot (born 1986), rower, team bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics * Aaron Meijers (born 1987), footballer with almost 400 club caps *

Michaëlla Krajicek Michaëlla Krajicek ( cz, Michaela Krajíčková; born 9 January 1989) is a Dutch former tennis player. She won three singles and five doubles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as one WTA 125 tournaments, WTA 125 doubles title, and 14 singles and ...

(born 1989), tennis player *

Arantxa Rus Arantxa Rus (; born 13 December 1990) is a Dutch tennis player. In 2008, she won the girl's singles title at the Australian Open, defeating Jessica Moore from Australia in the final. With this win she went from 35th to second place on the junio ...

(born 1990), tennis player * Victoria Pelova (born 1999), football player *

Tijmen van der Helm Tijmen van der Helm (born 26 January 2004) is a Dutch racing driver currently competing in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship with ARC Bratislava, and the 2022 European Le Mans Series with TDS Racing. Personal life Van Der Helm was ...

(born 2004), racing driver

Miscellaneous

* Nuna is a series of manned solar-powered vehicles, built by students at the Delft University of Technology, that won the

World solar challenge The World Solar Challenge (WSC), since 2013 named Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, is an international event for solar powered cars driving 3000 kilometres through the Australian outback. With the exception of a four-year gap between ...

in Australia seven times in the last nine competitions (in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015 and 2017). *The so-called " Superbus" project aims to develop high-speed coaches capable of speeds of up to together with the supporting infrastructure including special highway lanes constructed separately next to the nation's highways; this project was led by Dutch astronaut professor Wubbo Ockels of the Delft University of Technology. *Members of both Delft Student Rowing Clubs Proteus-Eretes and Laga have won many international trophies, including Olympic medals, in the past. *The Human Power Team Delft & Amsterdam, a team consisting mainly of students from the Delft University of Technology, has won The World Human Powered Speed Challenge (WHPSC) four times. This is an international contest for recumbents in the US state of Nevada, the aim of which is to break speed records. They set the world record of 133.78 kilometres an hour (83.13 mph) in 2013.

International relations

Twin towns

Delft is twinned with:

Transport

Delft railway station Delft is the main railway station of the city of Delft, South Holland, Netherlands. It is located on the oldest railway line in the country, between the stations of The Hague Central and Rotterdam Central. Along with a new 2.3 km rail tun ...

; (As of February 2015, located in a new building.) * Delft Campus railway station Trains stopping at these stations connect Delft with, among others, the nearby cities of

and

, as often as every five minutes, for most of the day. There are several bus routes from Delft to similar destinations.

Tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...

s frequently travel between Delft and

via special double tracks crossing the city.

Gallery

Notes

References

External links

Municipal Website of Delft
* Radio Netherlands
The day the world came to an end
* National Gallery, London
A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654TU Delft Develop Ambulance Drone
{{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland Industrial fires and explosions