Did you know Delft – Ad & Els wilden hun gastdochter Philippa ook iets mee geven van de cultuur en geschiedenis van ons land. Dan moet je dus zeker een bezoek brengen aan Oranjestad Delft. Ze wandelden met haar en Nelle, Marlotte en Anne-Sofie over de Markt. Ad legt aan Philippa uit: ”The earliest history of Delft is telling about a settlement near the Old Church. In the year 1199 the name of the city of Delf was first mentioned. This name came into existence because of the first canal, de Delf (Now the Oude (Old) Delft), who was dug around the year 1100.” Kijk dat is interessant nieuws. Philippa wist dat nog niet. Nellie vult haar zwager direct aan met nog meer wetenschap: ”Delft is one of the oldest towns in the Netherlands. In the year 1246 Delft got his municipal rights. In the year 1389 they dug out the canal de Schie to the river de Maas, and at the same time they got there first sea harbor Delftshaven. Delft is becoming a trade center. The most important sources of prosperity were the production and export of butter, sheets, carpets and beer”. Al wandelend door Delft kom je zo nog het een en ander te weten. Anne-Sofie weet nog meer van de Prinsenstad. Zij vertelt Philippa: ” In 1583 Prince Willem van Oranje came to live in the St. Agatha cloister (Prinsenhof) in Delft. From here he is leading the resistance from Holland against the Spanish, a war of 80 years. In 1584 Willem van Oranje was shot dead in the Prinsenhof.” Nu is het de beurt aan Marlotte. Terwijl de groep de Markt oversteekt in de richting van de Nieuwe Kerk neemt zij het verhaal over: ”At the end of the 16th century the Golden Century began, a period of rest and with many trades, arts and science. In 1631 one of the seats of the VOC was housed in the Oost-Indisch Huis. In 1639 the West Indische Compagnie is following. At the canals in Delft came many Delft ware potteries, who also made majolica what was from origin pottery from Italy and Spain. Delft will get world famous because of this pottery” Els heeft het allemaal aangehoord. Zij weet waarom Delft nog beroemder is. Zij vertelt Philippa: ”Famous also is the Delft painters school. Johannes Vermeer was one of the students. Delft came into a depression when the French conquered our country (1795-1813). The sheet industry disappeared, the Oost en West Indische Compagnie closed. But Delft rose again. In 1842 King Willem II started the Academy of Civil Engineers, now the Technische Universiteit Delft. Delft is with the Technical University now an international center of science and technology.” Philippa knikt. Al wandelend zijn ze aangekomen bij de Nieuwe Kerk. Zij heeft het foldertje ook gelezen en zegt: ”Did you know that the New Church was completed in 1381. The height of the tower, which cannot be climbed at the moment, is the second highest in your country, surpassed only by the Dom tower in Utrecht.”

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