Is The Hague really a city?

The Hague was originally a hamlet close to the count's castle built in the 13th century. The village was first recorded in a document dated 1370, but it has never been granted a charter. Charters entitled medieval villages to erect defence walls and dig moats to protect their citizens. It also gave villages certain privileges, including the right to administer justice.

Attempts by The Hague to obtain a charter were continuously thwarted, although noblemen in the Large Hall of the Count’s Castle administered justice. In 1811 The Hague was granted a 48-hour charter by Napoleon, when he proclaimed The Hague Bonne Ville de l'Empire. Passing through on his journey from Amsterdam to Paris, he refused to stay in a village.

No city rights

Even today, The Hague has no charter. From 1851 local legislation has no longer distinguished between city and countryside. The Netherlands now has only municipalities (gemeenten), with the exception of Amsterdam, which is a city under the Dutch Constitution. 's-Gravenhage - the official name for The Hague and is literally translated as 'the Count's hedge' - was never awarded city rights.

Although The Hague gives an outward appearance of being a full-fledged city, it is still known today as 'the largest village of Europe'. Even though voices whispered 'The Hague is the third largest city of the Netherlands' with a population then of 479,000, it was still not granted its charter when it celebrated its 750th anniversary in 1998.

Coat of Arms

Although still without a charter, The Hague boasts its own Coat of Arms. The Coat of Arms was officially laid down by order of the Dutch College of Arms on 24 July 1861 and is described as follows: 'In gold a striding stork of a natural colour, holding in its beak a sable-coloured eel. The shield is covered by an antique count's crown and held by two golden lions looking round'.

It is likely that the illustration on the Coat of Arms is based on the medieval storks that used to build their nests on the little island in the Hofvijver, or 'Court Pond'. This was seen by The Hague’s population as a sign of fortune as the storks would finish off all the fish remains after the fish market; these remains would otherwise rot and cause infectious diseases. The stork is depicted on all municipal institutions and on the tower of the Grote Kerk.