Monuments in 's-Hertogenbosch - Part 2

In this article, I write about some of the monuments you will come across during your walk or bike ride through the city. They are all national monuments, which means they are of national importance.

St Catherine's Church

Located at the Kruisbroedershof, St Catherine's Church is named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria, you will find a statue of her above the portal. The church is also called Kruiskerk or Kruisherenkerk. This name derives from the first Crusaders. This male monastic order settled in 's-Hertogenbosch in 1468 and built their monastery church on the spot where this church now stands. In 1629, this church too became Protestant and remained so until 1794. After that, the church was used as a hay barn and horse stable and the building fell into disrepair. Napoleon returned the church to the Catholic population and its function as a church was resumed, and in 1844 the construction of a new St Catherine's Church was started. The construction was just not successful, so in 1917 it was decided to build a new church. The design for the third church was inspired by the Hagia Sophia and is in the Neo-Byzantine style. Did you know that the church was built over the Church Stream, this is part of the Binnendieze and so during a canal cruise, you sail under the church.

The Dragon Fountain

In the middle of the station square, right in front of the front entrance of 's-Hertogenbosch station is this fountain with the dragon on its pedestal. The statue has stood here since 1903 was part of a competition organised by the municipality. The competition was called to erect a memorial to the deceased daughters of the Queen's Commissioner. But why is there a dragon on the pedestal, what does it have to do with the Commissioner's daughters? One story is that it is because of the Commissioner's surname; Jonkheer Bosch van Drakestein was. The other story says that 's-Hertogenbosch, located in swamp land, was an impregnable city and was therefore called the Swamp Dragon. In October 2000, the dragon fell from its pedestal, the cause was rust. The dragon was restored and reinstalled in December 2001. In 2020 and 2021, the fountain was restored and the dragon temporarily lodged in the front garden of the North Brabant Museum.

The Moriaan

De Moriaan is considered one of the oldest brick houses in the Netherlands and stands on the market square. The building was built in the 13th century as a residence and has been inhabited by important Bossche families. The building has also been used as a meeting room, storage and retail space. There were plans to demolish the property, but fortunately these did not go ahead. In 1963, they started renovations and the property was returned to its original state. Much in the inside of the building is still original and authentic. Until recently, the VVV was in the building, now the Visit Den Bosch visitor centre.

Read more about nature around Den Bosch? Read this article: Nature areas in and near 's-Hertogenbosch.

Rotary bridge

The bridge is over the Dommel river in the district of Het Zand. The bridge has a pivot pillar in the middle and is therefore movable. Construction began in 1901 when the residential area was also being developed and was intended for the tram from Veghel and Oss. In 1937, the tram line was discontinued and during the liberation of 's-Hertogenbosch, the bridge was severely damaged and could no longer turn. The bridge was therefore provisionally repaired and in 1994 it was thoroughly restored. The bridge can be opened manually for recreational boating.

Buying a property around the Draaibrug? Contact our estate agent in Den Bosch for a no-obligation consultation and view our offer.

Synagogue

The Jewish community in 's-Hertogenbosch is one of the oldest in the Netherlands. Several house synagogues were located in the city. It was not until 1823 that a large house of worship was commissioned by Mr Bernardus Hartogensis and given on loan to the Jewish community. In 1886, the building, which by then had been donated to the community, was rebuilt or say rebuilt, so great were the changes to the property. Since the 1970s, the synagogue was no longer used for what it was built for and the building fell into disrepair. After restoration, it can now be visited again and is used by music centre De Toonzaal. Outside the synagogue, a memorial of names reminds us of the 293 fellow townspeople murdered during World War II. You will also find 3 display cases for matching art.

Mariënburg

Already in the Middle Ages there was a convent here, the Burcht van Maria, which belonged to the Franciscan nuns. The convent was hit hard during the iconoclasm in 1566. The Franciscan nuns left after 1629 and the community died out. A new monastic community, the Sisters of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, founded in Amersfoort came to Brabant around 1826. As the community became too large for the premises where they were located, a new motherhouse was built on the site of the former Mariënburg convent. The nuns adopted the name of the former convent, and over time with the expansion of the community of nuns, the premises were also expanded. The property was requisitioned by the occupying forces during World War II; on Dolle Dinsdag 5 September 1944, they fled headlong and the people of Bosschen discovered large quantities of cognac in the convent. The occupier returns after a few days, demanding the stolen goods back. As you understand, that was no longer possible... So the people of Bosschenaren do not speak of Dolle Dinsdag, but Cognac Tuesday. After the war, the Mariënburg was a monastery but also a training school and household school. Many female townspeople were taught by the nuns here. The convent function has since been abolished and part of the building has been converted into flats and the other part houses the JADS, so the school function is still there. There are 2 convent gardens, 1 is only accessible to students, but through the gate on the Uilenburg you can admire the Pear Lane. The other cloister garden is set up as a city park, here you will find a lovely lawn and playground for the little ones. During Open Monumentendag, the former monastery building and monastery gardens can be visited under supervision.

Statue of Hieronymus Bosch and De Kleine Winst

It is still unclear whether our most famous person from Bosschen, painter Hieronymus Bosch, was born in this building or lived there in his youth. The archives show that during the city fire of 1463, the building housed a painter's studio, probably the studio of Hieronymus Bosch's father, who was also a painter. Of the original building from Hieronymus Bosch's time, only the basement remains. Otherwise, this is a beautiful building on the market and you can now visit the Museum Huis van Bosch here. In front of the building, Hieronymus Bosch stands on his pedestal.

Want to read more about monuments in Den Bosch? Read part 1 here.