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The museum Hof van Nederland presents historical stories from Dordrecht, told from different perspectives, that show you how the Dutch have dealt with their freedoms – from the distant past up to the present day. The rich Dordrecht Collection takes visitors back in time to the Middle Ages.

The Hof van Nederland is located on the beautiful square in Dordrecht known as the Hof. The building, a former Augustinian monastery, breathes the history of Dordrecht. The permanent exhibition draws on the collections of Huis Van Gijn, Dordrecht Regional Archives, and Dordrechts Museum. The story of the city is told through a wide variety of objects: paintings, ceramics, silver, drawings, medals, and archaeological finds.

The museum’s masterpieces include the famous painting from 1621 of the Synod of Dordrecht (1618–1619) by Pouwels Weyts the Younger, the sixteenth-century home altar of the Van Blijenburgh family, and the seventeenth-century Mint Masters by Samuel van Hoogstraten. Also displayed are drawings of Stadholder William V’s court by Isaac la Fargue van Nieuwland, the “Stateist heroes” portrait series in Loosdrecht porcelain, and unique Wedgewood sculptures of the De Witt brothers.

Dr. Marianne Eekhout, Curator of History (February 2023)