The Bakenesserkamer, or ’Hofje van Bakenes’, is the oldest almshouse in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1395 by Dirk van Bakenes, and was intended to provide poorer elderly people with a home. Many hofjes were ran by churches, but some, like this one, were founded by rich people who wanted to give something back to their community. Hofjes can be recognised by their distinctive shape, with the identical looking houses forming a ’U’ around the courtyard.
