By Marijke Holtrop
Garrison town
Brielle was a garrison town until 1882. A garrison town is a town of military importance where one or more army units are based. Reminders of this in Brielle include the Provoost (military prison) and the Arsenaal (Arsenal), as well as De Hoofdwacht (main guardhouse) on the other side of Markt. The Hoofdwacht or Grande Garde is the name for a central station or a building from which army units or militias carry out their patrols.
Brielle’s Hoofdwacht was built in 1789 by Johannes Van Westenhout. He also replaced the original stepped gable on Brielle’s town hall with a neo-classical facade. When a garrison departed, the town council asked the States of Holland for a replacement garrison. The meantime the garrison’s tasks were largely covered by the militia, such as the guardposts and maintaining public order. Read more…
