Het verborgen verleden van ’s-Hertogenbosch

Een ontwikkelingsmodel van de stad van 1170 tot 1400 – (deel 2)

Samenvatting

In 1984, the author conducted archaeological research into the buildings at Pensmarkt 13 and 15 in the city of ’s-Hertogenbosch. In the course of his research, he found an old brick wall built in Flemish bond. This discovery lead to a completely new hypothesis about the early years and the subsequent development of the city. Moreover, this hypothesis addresses a number of questions that were raised during historical, construction historical, and archaeological research in recent years.

The Flemish bond masonry at the rear wall of Pensmarkt 13-15 is part of a backbone construction that might indicate the presence of a much older structure. From an urban planning perspective, the wall appears to be extending from the left side of the building named ‘De Moriaan’ (‘the Moor’) as well as in a straight line toward the walls that were discovered behind the buildings in the Ridderstraat. This induced led to the assumption that the present market area must once have been partly or completely walled in. Additionally, a new pre-urban building era of the city of ’s-Hertogenbosch may be inferred, prior to the two eras that are currently widely recognized. The author discovered support for his conjecture of three distinguishable building eras in the Molius’ Chronicle, dating from about 1550. Molius described the early settlement in the first era as a circle shaped area with three gates, which can be identified as a precursor to the present market square. The first use of bricks as part of the ramparts may have taken place in 1196. Preceding this, according to the author’s view, the fortifications of the ducal residence could have included a hunting lodge with a moat and fortress walls, an outer courtyard with earthen walls, and three gates. This hypothesis may help to settle the on-going dispute about the founding date of the city. Subsequently, the author’s detailed analysis of the urban structure of ’s-Hertogenbosch concludes that ’s-Hertogenbosch was indeed founded as a city, a so-called ville neuve or new town. The Chronicle also points in this direction.

Up until 1202, the secular authorities were located in the ducal castle. This had an outer bailey at the market place, while the clergy had its domicile near the present location of the cathedral of St. John, and the merchants conducted their trade in the southeast corner of the city, at the place where the church of St. Jacob was erected in later years. Some twenty years after the destruction of the city in 1202, the duke and the merchants of ’s-Hertogenbosch collaborated closely to re-build the market town. They were also initially the sole inhabitants of the rebuilt fortified settlement with its new castle. Remnants of the original walls, encircling the market square, were reused in the new walls of 1222. These old parts are not homogeneously constructed, though this can be explained by the impact of the 1202 destructions. The author also demonstrates that the proposed development pattern adequately deals with a number of questions relating to some later developments within the enlarged fortified walls of 1222. Moreover, this explains why ’s-Hertogenbosch had three town halls at different locations over a short period of time. Finally, it is suggested that German merchants from the Meuse-Rhine area played a role in founding the city.