The Hague, Duinoord – Jan Wind, 1900

275

Duinoord met Omgeving in het Noord Westen van ’s Gravenhage.” [Duinoord and surroundings in the northwest of The Hague.] Colour lithograph by Jan Wind Jr., published in October 1900 on behalf of the Haagse bouwgrondmaatschappij Duinoord [The Hague land development company Duinoord]. Size: 56 × 38 cm.

This beautifully coloured map from 1900 shows the area of Duinoord and the surrounding districts of The Hague, including parts of Scheveningen, Zorgvliet, and Het Kleine Veentje. The map was issued during a period marked by rapid urban development and systematic land parcelling that shaped The Hague’s expansion.

Duinoord, highlighted in red, is a characteristic example of a late 19th-century urban extension designed for the affluent middle class. Developed by the private entrepreneur Daniel François Scheurleer, Duinoord was considered one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods of the Residentie (the Dutch seat of government) – a breath of fresh air for many Hague residents who had grown weary of the monotonous, straight-lined streets filled with cheaply built revolution-era housing. Especially the central Sweelinckplein earned widespread admiration. Scheurleer and his Duinoord Company explicitly aimed to create a prestigious district for representatives of the upper and middle classes.

What stands out is that Duinoord lies precisely on the transition zone between the old dune grounds and the lower-lying polder area – a geographic boundary with clear socio-economic significance. Here, one can see how the contrast between sand and peat grounds, or north and south, marked the dividing line between wealthy neighbourhoods and poorer districts. At the time, it was commonly believed that living on dry sandy soil was healthy, while damp polder environments were thought to bring all sorts of diseases. This was a contrast that had not been so sharply drawn before but was becoming increasingly visible in the further urban layout of The Hague.

To the east of Duinoord lies the Zorgvliet estate. Zorgvliet was laid out as a country estate around 1643 by poet and statesman Jacob Cats. The estate later came into the possession of King William II and his wife Anna Pavlovna, and subsequently passed to their daughter Sophie. After her marriage to Charles Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, the couple regularly spent summers at the Catshuis on Zorgvliet. Sophie sold parts of the estate, which led to the development of the Statenkwartier and Duinoord neighborhoods. After Sophie’s death in 1897, various buyers – building developers, the municipality of The Hague, and Adriaan Goekoop –  turned their attention to the estate. Goekoop, co-owner of the construction company Het Park Zorgvliet, acquired the estate and eventually purchased the Catshuis with surrounding land, where he took up residence himself.

At the top of the map, Scheveningen is depicted – already a popular tourist destination at the time, with its harbour, dunes, hotels, and beach promenade. The surrounding greenery, including the Scheveningen Woods (Scheveningsche Boschjes) and a park under development, is also prominently shown, giving the map not only urban but also landscape significance.

In addition to portraying the geographic and spatial layout of The Hague and Scheveningen in 1900, the map explicitly lists the names of building companies and private landowners, underscoring the major influence of private initiatives on urban development during this period. It also depicts possible future expansions, including a statue of Stadtholder William III, a Russian chapel, an event square, and a theater. The circles indicate distances to the Groenmarkt. In the inset at the upper left, the building of the HBS (Higher Civic School) at Stadhouderslaan 78 is shown.

Price: Euro 275,-