L e i d e n-info

Municipal Museum "De Lakenhal"

The Municipal museum in Leiden owes it name to the former "Laecken Halle" or Cloth Hall from 1640, where once the famous Leiden cloth was sampled and sold. The museum has been located in this building since 1874 with a collection de voted to the art and history of the city of Leiden from the Middle Ages up to present day. Masterpieces by Lucas van Leiden, Rembrandt, Jan Steen, Floris Verster, Theo van Doesburg and many other give an overall view of the history of arts in the Netherlands.

Paintings by Isaac van Swanenburg depict the production of woollen cloth around 1600. The history department and the collections of Leiden silver, glass, pewter, tiles and furniture illustrate the city's history and, together with the building that houses the museum, form the historical backcloth against which these works of art are exhibited.

Painting.

Painted in 1526 - 1527, Lucas van Leyden's 'The last Judgement' constitutes the unrivalled highlight of the collection. Rembrandt, Jan Lievens, Gerrit Dou, Willem van Mieris and Jan Steen also embarked on their illustrious careers here in Leiden. It is in Leiden, too, that Theo van Doesburg established the art group 'De Stijl' in the early years of the twentieth century. The museum owns the first stained glass window he designed and some of his early paintings. Landscape is also a recurring theme throughout the painting collection.
Dutch landscapes by seventeenth-century masters such as Jan van Goyen, Nicolaes Berchem and Porcellis are on permanent display, besides modern landscapes by Jan Toorop, Bram van Velde and others.

History of Leiden

The famous Leiden cloth, the first university in the Netherlands with famous scientists, a burgomaster who would rather chop off his arm than surrender to the Spanish, Southerners who had fled to the North and helped build the flourishing cloth trade - all features of Leiden's history that can also still be found in the city itself, forming the background for heroic deeds and masterpieces of international fame.

Children

De Lakenhal museum organises various educational activities for children that turn a visit to the museum into an exciting adeventure.

Museum facilities.

The museum shop offers a wide range of books, catalogues, picture postcards and design articles. The lift gives access to all departments, also for wheelchair users. Guided tours on a variety of topics can be arranged, for young and old. The library is open from Tuesday to Thursday inclusive, from 10.00 a.m. to 01.00 p.m.