The Vleeshal is a historical building dating from 1603 on the Grote Markt in
Haarlem
Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English language, English) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the Provinces of the Nether ...
, the Netherlands.
History
''Vleeshal'' means meat-hall, as it was the only place in Haarlem where fresh meat was allowed to be sold from 1604 to the 18th century; salted meat was instead sold in the Warmoesstraat, the street next to the building. This function is illustrated by the ox-heads on the front of the building.
It was designed in renaissance style by
Lieven de Key. It was built from 1602 to 1603. Before that there was already a small Vleeshal on the crossing of the Spekstraat and the Warmoesstraat, but around 1600 it had become too small, and the meat had to be sold outside. The new building was a prestigious project; expensive materials and a beautiful design were used. It opened on November 1, 1604. There was room for 40 different meat merchants in the building.
The building was in use as meat-hall until 1840. Afterwards it was used by the National Archive (''Rijksarchief'') and the
Haarlem Public Library.
Two Museums
Since 1950 the building has been in use as a gallery by the
Frans Hals Museum
The Frans Hals Museum (formerly ''Stedelijk Museum van Haarlem'') is a museum in the North Holland city of Haarlem, the Netherlands, founded in 1862, known as the Art Museum of Haarlem. Its collection is based on the city's own rich collection, b ...
, which holds art exhibitions there under the name "
Frans Hals Museum - Hal". The entrance to that museum is through the house directly to the right of the building. The cellar of the Vleeshal is used by the
Archaeological Museum Haarlem, which has a permanent exhibition on various aspects of the archeology of Haarlem, as well as a modest exhibition area for new finds. The entrance to that museum is through the small door on the left leading down into the cellar.
Replicas
The
West End Collegiate Church on
West End Avenue in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
,
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...
is modeled after the Vleeshal.
References
External links
Website
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures completed in 1603
Museums in Haarlem
History of Haarlem
Rijksmonuments in Haarlem
Frans Hals Museum
1603 establishments in the Dutch Republic
Renaissance architecture in the Netherlands