Hofje van Splinter is a hidden pearl in Alkmaar’s inner city. Such inner courts for single men or women were created because charities and private individuals in the Middle Ages wanted to help their neighbours, as the Bible demanded.
- Come to know more about this hidden inner court in Alkmaar.
- Concealed between the shops on a popular shopping street lies the Hofje van Splinter.
- The inner court still has residents to this very day.
Ladies of standing
Hofje van Splinter was built in 1646 with a legacy from Margaretha Splinter; it was intended for ladies of standing who had come down in the world. The first occupants received a basket of peat and one hundred guilders every year... but they had to do something in return.
Strict rules
The ladies had to give their time to the reformed church and were not allowed male visitors. The rules are not as strict today but it still requires approval from a commission to be allowed to live there. The hofje is located on Ritsevoort 2.