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Brochure - Leiden

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Rembrandt van Rijn, geboren in <strong>Leiden</strong><br />

| Rembrandt van Rijn, born in <strong>Leiden</strong><br />

History of <strong>Leiden</strong><br />

<strong>Leiden</strong>’s history stretches back a long way; long before our calendar<br />

started, people had settled on the banks of the Rhine. By 1200 the<br />

settlement had grown to such a size that the Count of Holland gave the<br />

people city rights, heralding the birth of the city of <strong>Leiden</strong>. At the end of<br />

the fifteenth century, <strong>Leiden</strong> was the biggest city in the county of Holland,<br />

mainly due to the international cloth industry for which the city was famous.<br />

The prosperity enjoyed by <strong>Leiden</strong> in this period is reflected in such imposing<br />

buildings as the Hooglandse kerk and the Pieterskerk.<br />

The Relief of <strong>Leiden</strong><br />

In the sixteenth century, the<br />

economic tide turned. It was the<br />

era of the Reformation, when<br />

Protestant movements were<br />

fiercely persecuted. In 1572,<br />

<strong>Leiden</strong> joined the Dutch revolt<br />

(led by the Prince of Orange)<br />

against the Spanish invaders,<br />

and the city was beseiged by the<br />

Kaart van <strong>Leiden</strong> 1860 | Citymap <strong>Leiden</strong> 1860<br />

<strong>Leiden</strong>s Ontzet, 3 oktober 1574 | The Relief of <strong>Leiden</strong>, 3 October 1574<br />

Spanish. The citizens fell prey to<br />

disease and hunger, and <strong>Leiden</strong><br />

almost fell into the hands of the<br />

Spanish, but on 3 October 1574<br />

the Spanish invaders fled and the<br />

troops of the Prince of Orange<br />

entered the city. They distributed<br />

food to the starving citizens: half<br />

a loaf of bread with cheese and<br />

herring for every person. This<br />

liberation, the Relief of <strong>Leiden</strong>,<br />

is still celebrated every year, right<br />

up to the present day, with a<br />

gigantic local party. As a reward<br />

for the city’s resistance during the<br />

Spanish occupation, William of<br />

Orange founded <strong>Leiden</strong> University<br />

on 8 February 1575.<br />

The keys to <strong>Leiden</strong><br />

<strong>Leiden</strong> is the City of Keys; the<br />

motif of keys can be seen all<br />

over the city. This dates back to<br />

1293 when a city seal depicting<br />

Saint Peter featured on official<br />

documents of the ‘stadt Leyde’. In<br />

his hand the apostle carries a key.<br />

The combination of Saint Peter<br />

and a key is a well-known symbol<br />

taken from the Bible (Matthew,<br />

16, v. 19), when Jesus says to<br />

Peter: ‘I will give you the keys to<br />

the City of Heaven.’ As early as<br />

1121 the Counts of Holland had<br />

a chapel built, dedicated to Saint<br />

Peter and Saint Paul. This is the<br />

present Pieterskerk.<br />

Rembrandt van Rijn<br />

Rembrandt van Rijn was born on<br />

15 July 1606 in the Weddesteeg<br />

in <strong>Leiden</strong>, where he lived for the<br />

first 26 years of his life. These<br />

were important years for him.<br />

He studied classics at the Latin<br />

school, then decided to become<br />

a painter. Having trained under<br />

Jacob Isaacsz Swanenburg,<br />

Rembrandt set himself up in<br />

<strong>Leiden</strong> as an independent artist.<br />

Many of his masterpieces were<br />

painted in his <strong>Leiden</strong> studio.<br />

A painting from his <strong>Leiden</strong><br />

period can be seen in the<br />

Museum De Lakenhal.<br />

history of <strong>Leiden</strong> 7

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