Cloth halls


The Ypres Museum is located in the imposing Cloth Hall on the Grote Markt in Ypres. Today, the Cloth Hall and the belfry symbolise Ypres' glorious medieval past and the hope for reconstruction after the violence of war. Read more about the history of this remarkable building below. In 1173, historical sources mention a Halla in Ypres for the first time: a covered hall where cloth was traded. It was probably a wooden structure. It is unclear whether there was also a belfry at that time. Construction of the imposing complex we know today began around 1250 and was completed around 1378. It is Europe's largest civil complex in Gothic style.

The importance of the Cloth Hall and the belfry for the city of Ypres cannot be overstated. It is a complex of buildings with great symbolic value. This symbolism has changed significantly over the centuries. But throughout this history and the changing symbolism of the Cloth Hall and the belfry of Ypres, one thing has remained constant. The Cloth Hall and the belfry tower symbolise the city itself.

The oldest image of the belfry, cloth hall and ‘gulden halleke’: a miniature from 1363, preserved thanks to a lithograph from 1861.

the origins of the cloth halls

When Ypres began construction of this complex in the mid-13th century, its ambition was clear: to create a monumental building that reflected the civil power and worldly wealth of Ypres. At that time, Ypres was one of the three most powerful cities in Flanders, a rich and powerful county. The Cloth Hall was intended to demonstrate this power and wealth.

The current complex consists of several parts, each with its own function. At the centre stands the belfry tower. In the Middle Ages, this tower was the embodiment of urban autonomy. Here, the city kept its privileges, the city bells warned of danger, the armoury and treasury were located, and rioters were imprisoned if necessary.

Next to the Cloth Hall stands the Nieuwerck, which replaced the Gulden Halleke in 1622. You could say that this building represents the political power of the elite over their own people. After all, the political co-governance of the workers had long since come to an end in the early seventeenth century.

The actual halls are located on either side of the belfry. While the belfry symbolises urban autonomy, the cloth halls symbolise Ypres' wealth and trading position. After all, it is in these halls that the famous Ypres cloth is sold. This international trade forms the basis of Ypres' success story.

Next to the Cloth Hall stands the Nieuwerck, which replaced the Gulden Halleke in 1622. You could say that this building represents the political power of the elite over their own people. After all, the political co-governance of the workers had long since come to an end in the early seventeenth century.

a different view

The halls looked very different in the past than they do today. Moreover, this view is constantly changing. Initially, there were small stalls placed against the façade. These were extra sales space for traders who could not afford expensive places in the halls. The image of Our Lady of Thuyne above the dark gate is decorated with lilies in azure blue and gold. In 1493, she was presented with a hat by the aldermen, which she wore on public holidays. The gutter was painted and the belfry tower was regularly gilded and painted. The work was expensive and had to be repeated every 30 years. At the end of the 15th century, the city stopped this tradition, probably for financial reasons.

Instead of one clock, there are two clocks on the belfry tower. Below the regular clock, there is an astrological clock, although only on the front. This shows the time in two sets of twelve digits and also indicates the rising, setting and passing of the sun and moon. This is known as the moon runner.

Copper engraving by Jacobus Harrewijn, 1700-1750, based on an original from 1641.

Pierre François Joseph Durutte from Douai joined the French revolutionary army in 1792 and became a general in Napoleon's army.

The restoration work carried out in 1840 was not done using the most durable materials: the Avesnes stone proved to be too soft and the restoration work had to be redone. This time, Jules Coomans was in charge of the repairs. The work had just been completed when World War I broke out: the belfry was still surrounded by scaffolding when the violence of war reached Ypres.

The devastation caused during World War I meant that the remains of the Cloth Hall and the belfry became a symbol of what was then called “German barbarism”. Images of the destroyed belfry spread rapidly around the world, even during the war. The British saw the ruins as a worthy war memorial for their fallen soldiers.

The people of Ypres wanted nothing to do with this and stubbornly rebuilt “their” belfry. Coomans led the project. The reconstruction was to be a long-term project: the belfry was completed in 1934, followed by the Cloth Hall, and it was not until 1967 that the Nieuwerck was finished. Since then, the Cloth Hall and the belfry of Ypres have been a worldwide symbol of hope and recovery after the violence of war.

Since 1999, the belfry tower of Ypres, together with 31 other belfry towers, has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means that it is considered to be “a heritage of unique and universal value to humanity”. Today, the Cloth Hall and the belfry symbolise Ypres' glorious medieval past and the hope for reconstruction after the violence of war. These two stories are told in the Cloth Hall itself, in the two museums: the Ypres Museum and the In Flanders Fields Museum.

View of the destroyed belfry from the east, 1919.

Poster for the inauguration of the belfry, 29 July 1934