The history of the Dinghuis in Maastricht
Visitors and residents of Maastricht look up to the Dinghuis, both literally and figuratively. This is primarily due to its slender and graceful appearance. At almost thirty metres, it was for a long time Maastricht’s tallest building. Furthermore, the Dinghuis has stood proudly ever since its construction in the late Middle Ages and is brimming with fascinating stories. We delve into the history of this building with its striking name.
Court of Appeal
The name Dinghuis derives from the Germanic word 'Ding', meaning 'law'. Nowadays, we still speak of a 'short court'. The building on the corner of Kleine Staat and Grote Staat was a courthouse until the mid-17th century. Not infrequently, prisoners were tortured in the basement for a confession, as was the practice in those days. To carry out the death penalty, the scaffold stood alternately on the Vrijthof and the Market Square. The pillory was used for corporal punishment. Thieves were literally 'put to shame'; they hung in a pillory with their wrists and head. And an adulterous woman had to sit in the spinning cage, after which she was spun around to madness. Without going into all kinds of grim details: various instruments of execution can still be seen in the Bonnefanten, including part of an executioner's sword and branding irons.
Lookout point
The Town Hall on the Markt opened in the mid-seventeenth century. The Town Hall also immediately became the new home of the courts, meaning that the Dinghuis lost its legal function. Since then, the Dinghuis has served countless purposes. For example, it has been used as a heritage centre, an office for a telecoms company and has housed the Chamber of Commerce. During the Second World War, the Air Raid Protection Service moved into the Dinghuis. This service was established in 1938, when Germany invaded Poland, to protect civilians from air raids. The tower served as a lookout post. In response to the threat of bombs, a concrete floor was laid on the first floor of the Dinghuis. This later caused the Dinghuis to subside.
Poesjenellenkelder
In the 1950s, the Poesjenellenkelder was located in the Dinghuis. There, Pieke Dassen provided puppet shows for many years. And although Pieke was born in Rotterdam, many Maastricht people saw and still see him as a real Maastricht person. Former Maastricht mayor Philip Houben once described him as the man he was: actor, painter, restless colourist, designer of puppets and puppeteer. Pieke's son Manny Dassen has created a mural in the courtyard of the Dinghuis in memory of his father. It shows Pieke Dassen in the company of several puppets with which he entertained so many children and adults. All the more reason to drop in at the Maastricht Store.
The clock
Have you ever looked closely at the clock in the tympanum of the Dinghuis? This is one of the oldest clocks in the Netherlands and if you look closely, you will see that it has only one hand. And that is the short hand, to be precise. Until the construction of the City Hall on the Market Square, this was the only one-hand clock in the city. Hence its name: the primordial clock mitten wijzer, the hour clock with the pointer. In the 15th century, that clock was part of the De Lanscroon, a house on the Grote Staat. The lower court was located there until the mid-17th century. That house no longer exists, so the clock does. Moreover, since its relocation, it is extra easy to see. The clock's chain runs over several floors. Every hour, that chain rotates and the clock changes position.
Fireplace and bel-etage
On the second floor of the Dinghuis there is an interesting mantelpiece. It features the Maastricht city star, two angels and the Perroen. The Perroen refers to the bluestone column of the same name on the Vrijthof, which in turn refers to the period when Maastricht was part of the Principality of Liège. It is unclear when the fireplace was made. What is clear, however, is that it was purchased in Brussels in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Perhaps on Brussels’ Vossenplein, where the nationally and internationally renowned ‘second-hand market’ – as the Belgians officially call it – is still held every day. One floor above the ground floor of the Dinghuis is a so-called ‘bel-etage’. This is also the floor onto which the landing with the two accompanying staircases leads. Many important buildings have such a bel-etage. For example, Maastricht Town Hall and the Royal Palace on Dam Square also have one. In days gone by, the ground floor was used, amongst other things, for the delivery of goods or as a dining room for the guards. A little higher up, on the bel-etage, the dignitaries would hold their meetings.
A remarkable monument
Back to the exterior, which has looked different over the years. Today, the Dinghuis has three colours. The front facade is grey and red, the side facade brown. It used to be different. The side façade once looked like a half-timbered house, that is, with loam between the wood instead of the bricks that replaced it later. What colour that loam was can no longer be said with certainty. Possibly it was white-yellow, like the colour of the Bonbonnière. It could just as well have been that the loam was painted red, the same colour as that of St John's tower on the Vrijthof Square. By the way, the façade was once decorated with various coats of arms and therefore had a colourful appearance.
In the 1980s, the Dinghuis was remodelled and the local tourist office moved into the building, the predecessor of today's Maastricht Store. The latest restoration was done in 2021. This included completely renewing the slate roofing and installing a time capsule in the ridge. If you are in the area, be sure to admire this special monument from the outside as well as the inside!
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Dinghuis - Maastricht Store
Dinghuis - Maastricht Store
The Maastricht Store is located in the Dinghuis, a building with a long history. More info on Dinghuis - Maastricht Store
