Hofje
Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it
title: "Hofje" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["dutch-words-and-phrases", "hofjes"] description: "Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it" topic_path: "geography/netherlands" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofje" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Amsterdam_Begijnhof_2008.jpg" caption="''Begijnhof'']] in Amsterdam"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Hofje_van_Bakenes.jpg" caption="''hofje'' in Haarlem]] dating from 1395."] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Gevelsteen_Bakenesserhofje.jpg" caption="Gablestone of the Hofje van Bakenes in Haarlem"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Obreen,_Henri_Guillaume_Arnaud_Groot_Sionshofje_ErfgoedLeiden_LEI001006703.jpg" caption="Groot Sionshofje in Leiden (Netherlands), 1860"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Hofje_van_Gratie.jpg" caption="The ''Hofje van Gratie'' in [[Delft"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Naaldwijk_hofje.jpg" caption="The ''Geesthof'' in Naaldwijk"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Middengasthuis2011.jpg" caption="The ''Middengasthuis'' in [[Groningen"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Hofje_van_Pauw_Delft.jpg" caption="Entrance gate to ''Hofje van Pauw'' in Delft"] ::
A hofje (diminutive of 'hof', 'court') is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. Hofjes have existed since the Middle Ages.
A hofje provided housing for elderly people (mostly women). 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 was most likely inspired by the (older) Begijnenhofjes—groups of small houses inhabited exclusively by religious women.
A distinction is usually made between the Begijnenhofjes and 'regular' hofjes. The former were used only by (Catholic) women, who were supporting themselves. They were a kind of cloister. The latter 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; although hofjes for men and married couples did exist
- 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 some hofjes were founded for commercial purposes; the inhabitants would pay rent.
The "Hofje van Mevrouw Van Aerden" in Leerdam is open to visitors as a museum.
Cities with many hofjes in the Netherlands include:
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::