A Summary at Three Weeks, Part II: A Study of Old and New

Construction in Netherlands is booming. Here in Delft, evidence of a strong economy and massive development projects are everywhere. Take, for example, the brand new train station.

Delft Centraal

This shining contemporary glass and steel structure opened on 28 February 2015, replacing the former train station which was built in 1885. 

former Delft railway station

Happily, the city planners have decided to keep the old station intact and it, too, is under development. Renovations include hosting a small museum, restaurant and shops on the bottom with condos on the top floor. 

The new Delft Centraal offers an amazing complex of shops, city municipal offices, bike storage and a public transport hub. 

The railway line through Delft is the oldest in the country, running between two of the largest cities, Rotterdam to the south and Den Haag (The Hague) to the north, each a 15 minute ride in ease and comfort. The first train ran on the tracks in May 1847.

Along with constructing a new building, Delft city planners engineered underground train tracks running 2.3 kilometers underneath the city center. This allows for a much more integrated city, east and west, no longer separated by passing trains. 

Underground operations also make the city of Delft very quiet. The hustle of life is punctuated by lots of people walking and biking. One virtually never hears car horns honking. There are no traffic lights. Because parking is scarce, very few cars operate in the city center. When there are cars, the drivers must pay a tax to operate inside the city center zone. The consequence: tremendous quality of life for residents.

Delft, view from Nieuwe Kerk
notice what's missing?: cars

The region isn't without consumerism, however. One example is the IKEA store with its towering sign situated in a suburb about half a mile away from the city center. I haven't visited but our Airbnb host appears to have completely furnished her house from this store. 

IKEA, view from Nieuwe Kerk

Another example of development is the local archives building, Stadsarchief Delft. Located about one mile from the city center, this new government building contains very old documents, some dating to the 13th century.

The contrast between old and new is remarkable. The building itself is quite plain, but efficient. A locked glass door entry requires an employee inside to buzz visitors through.

Stadsarchief Delft

Inside this unimaginative structure is the key to the region's history. On each of my visits the staff have been friendly and helpful, assisting with the location of very old primary texts. 

Yesterday, I walked to the archives and accessed a marriage certificate dated to 1623. There is something remarkable about touching a sheet of paper that was originally handled nearly four hundred years ago. The rawhide leather tie binding the book's pages together probably adds to the magical quality. 

Marriage certificate,
Jacobus van Oosterwijck
and Adriana van Linschoten
23 Jan 1623

Stadsarchief Delft, interior

This, then, is a little taste of Netherlands 2018. A combination of the old and the new, perhaps best exemplified by this picture I took from the tower of the Nieuwe Kerk. In the foreground is a bronze cross, dated to the 16th century. In the background is the very modern city of Rotterdam, high rises built out of the ashes of World War II. With vision and insight, Dutchies have managed to honor the best of the past while embracing essential quality of life for the present, with an eye toward building a better future for their children.