History

Delftsche Donderslag

On 12 October 1654, a powder magazine exploded in the city centre of the military city of Delft. The bang must have been heard in Texel (hig up North in the Netherlands). The many dead and wounded, including well-known people such as Fabritius, and the enormous chaos made a great impression on the survivors. This disaster has gone down in history as the “Delftsche Donderslag”.

Pieter Post designs Het Kruithuis

The new Generality Powder Warehouse of the States of Holland was built far from the city in the Lage- or Abtswoudse polder south of the city.
The famous architect, Pieter Post, who also designed the Huis ten Bosch Palace, among other things, was asked to build the new Kruithuis. In 1659 the floor plan was ready and the Kruithuis was already ready in 1660. It originally consisted of a Gatehouse, a Pak- and Kuiphuis, a soldier’s quarters, a Corps de Garde (later corrupted into Kortegaard) and two towers.
These heavy powder towers were placed in the water. The gunpowder was stored here. In each of the two towers there was a storage facility for 200,000 pounds of gunpowder. Originally, the towers were connected to each other and the rampart by two drawbridges and an island. Over the centuries, the bridges and the island have disappeared.
The entrances to the towers were equipped with two double doors. The inner doors were covered with copper plates. All the hinges and locks were made of copper to prevent sparks. That is also why the sills were made of wood.

Restauration and Scouting

In 1964, part of the Kruithuis was taken into use by the student rowing club Proteus Eretes. In that same year, Scouting started renting the other parts of the Kruithuis for growth. From 1968/1969 all historic buildings were used by Scouting. A lot of money was needed to make the much-needed internal renovations possible. And improvements and embellishments are still being made in order to make the centuries-old complex more suitable for its current purpose, namely accommodation for youth, youth and cultural work.
In 1992, the dike around the pond was widened and levelled and, just like in 1660, ash and alder trees were planted on it again. This has created better camping accommodation. The centuries-old monument is under the supervision of official Dutch monument care department.

After the relocation of the rowing club, Scouting became the only user of the Kruithuis in 1997. The restoration of the complex started in 1998. The municipality of Delft carried out the restoration, working together with Scouting Delfland. Scouting will ensure the good maintenance of the monumental buildings and also guarantees that the Kruithuis remains an open and lively monument.