Knights+Hall

=Knights Hall=

In the Netherlands the government is made up of many buildings and Knights Hall is one of the biggest. Knights Hall was built in the late 13th century. Many historic decisions and events have happened at this location. Over the many years the hall has had many different purposes. For example during the Napoleonic age it was used as an exercise hall. Today the Dutch States-General or Parliament meet at Knights Hall. Also inside the hall is the throne where King Willem Alexander gives his annual speech on Prince’s Day. Knights Hall is special for multiple reasons. One main reason is the interesting architecture. The building had the biggest vaulted ceiling for hundreds of years. The ceiling was designed after the ships that were being produced during that time period. When walking inside it looks like you are travelling through a fairy tale with all of the medieval architecture.The age is also why it is so famous. Even though the structure was built hundreds of years ago it still resembles its original form. It resembles its original form so much so that no nails were used in the construction instead wooden dowels were used to hold things in place. Today as mentioned before the site is used for the government and is where people gather to watch King Willem Alexander give his speech on Prince’s Day. When visiting the hall you can see the inside but tours are rarely given. Instead of focusing on the inside you should pay more attention to the beautiful outside and the many surrounding builds. Overall Knights Hall and the buildings and area around it is very beautiful and is worth visiting.

The Knights Hall, also known as Ridderzaal, is located in the Hague. In the 13th century, Floris IV bought a piece of land next to a small lake. The Ridderzaal was built on the estate in the 13th century as a manor for Floris V, grandson of Floris IV. Over centuries, the government built buildings around the lake and incorporated the Ridderzaal.

The Ridderzaal was the venue for the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference in 1914. It was held from August 23 to November 2. The representatives of the Netherlands, the Republic of Indonesia and the BFO (Federal Consultative Assembly) were there. The conference ended with the Netherlands agreeing to transfer sovereignty to the Unites States of Indonesia. Another event that happened there, and still happens there, is the speech from the throne. The Dutch monarch and Duchess ride in a golden coach to the Ridderzaal. The Dutch monarch then gives a speech to parliament. This is held annually but could happen more or less frequently if they wished.

The Ridderzaal was restored between 1898 and 1904 to serve its present purposes. The Ridderzaal is used for the state opening of Parliament, when the Dutch monarch delivers the speech from the throne. It is also used for official royal receptions and interparliamentary conferences.