Dotted Crown (2): the Muiderslot

Muiderslot in Muiden around 1920 

In my previous post I talked about the quirky Haarlem postmark on this postcard, but now it is time to have a look at its front.

Recently dubbed 'Amsterdam Castle' to lure tourists away from the overcrowded Amsterdam streets, the Muiderslot (slot = castle in Dutch) in the small town of Muiden is one of the most valued monuments in the Netherlands. To actual location of Muiden is on the shores of the former salt Zuiderzee (Southern Sea), which became the shallow IJsselmeer after the Afsluitdijk was constructed in 1932. A contemporary map shows you the exact location of Muiden with regard to Amsterdam:

Muiden south of the red arrow, Amsterdam lies to the left

The castle was built around the end of the 13th century by Count Floris V. Earlier the location of the castle was used by Floris to invade West-Frisia to the north (the protruding 'nose-shaped' piece of land on the the card above) after a devastating flood in 1288 which paralyzed the West-Frisians. Floris took advantage of this situation and concurred us (I am from West-Frisia), by building some imposing strongholds. Legend has it that Edward I of England helped Floris from his own castle building experiences in Wales. Ever since we're fettered, but we did well out of it!

Floris was captured and eventually killed in 1296 by Gijsbrecht of Amstel and Gerard van Velsen. 

Then a messy period started (14th century) and some reports state that the castle was demolished before being resurrected again at the end of the 14th century. We don't know for sure however.

In the 17th century the castle was occupied by the bailiff P.C. Hooft, whose real merits are his poems and plays. Together with important literary figures as Huygens, Vondel and Bredero he reportedly created the 'Muiderkring': a group of artists which regularly met at the castle. 

A feast at the Muiderslot with members of the Muiderkring by Louis Moritz

After the death of P.C. Hooft the castle became derelict. When the French troops arrived they used the castle as a barrack which probably caused even more damage to the castle. In the 19th century the Dutch government wanted to sell the castle for demolition, but King William I objected. By a small miracle the castle was saved on request of historian Samuel Wiselius. The initial idea was to let the castle fall into disrepair to create a romantic ruin. Luckily this didn't happen. When the interest in our national history increased again by the end of the 19th century, the government appointed Pierre Cuypers to rebuild the castle. Due to the lack of archaeological and architectural research available, he made the castle look a bit fantastic when the restorations was done. In a subsequent restoration certain additions Cuypers was responsible for were made undone again. 

The Muiderslot prior to the first restoration by Cuypers (1886).

      

The Muiderslot after the first restoration by Cuypers (after 1895)

The Muiderslot in 2017