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Hof van
Brabant, Holambra SP Brasil, inverno 2001
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De
naam Hof heeft te maken met de opbouw:
meestal een verzameling kleine huisjes rond een gemeenschappelijk
binnenterrein.
Op dat binnenterrein waren in vroeger tijden de gemeenschappelijke
voorzieningen te vinden zoals toiletten en een wasgelegenheid.
Vaak waren deze huisjes
bedoeld voor ouderen met weinig geld, soms ook als onderdeel van
sociale voorzieningen voor leden van een bepaalde kerk of andere doelgroepen
zoals schippers.
Soms deed een hofje ook dienst als herberg
voor reizigers.
Een hofje is vaak ommuurd en alleen toegankelijk via 1 of 2
ingangen die vaak al om 10 uur
's avonds werden afgesloten. Op die manier kon niemand ongemerkt
binnenkomen.
Vele hofjes hadden een portier die de poorten sloot, deze portier was
in dienst van de stichting die het hofje beheerde.
A hofje is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses
around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages.
They were privately funded, and served as a form of social security.
In the Netherlands there are still a number of
hofjes in use.
Hofjes are usually built in a U-shape with a yard or garden in the
middle, and a gate as entrance. The shape of hofjes in most likely
inspired by the (older) Begijnenhofjes
-- religion-based women communities.
Usually a distinction is made between the
Begijnenhofjes, and 'regular' hofjes. The first ones were used only
by (Catholic) women, who were supporting themselves. They were a sort
of cloister. The latter however were more charitable institutions.
To be eligible to live in a hofje one had to meet four criteria:
- Sex: almost all hofjes were founded for women, as they could be
relied on to keep a household running
- Religion: many hofjes were founded for people of the same faith as
the founder (some hofjes were founded by church communities)
- Age: from the 17th century a minimum age was often used. Fifty
years was common, and this was an old age in those years
- Social-economic background: hofjes were targeted for poorer people
In the 18th century there were hofjes founded
for commercial purposes; the habitants would pay rent.
Hofjes: estas construções, geralmente rodeadas por largos jardins,
consistiam na sua maioria em casa privadas fundadas para receber
mulheres idosas e sozinhas.
A maioria dos hofjes permanece propriedade das fundações originais e
mantém o mesmo princípio para o qual foram construídos: receber
mulheres idosas.
Actualmente ainda existem hofjes e muitos deles encontram-se abertos
ao público: pousada para as turistas aos fins-de-semana.
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