Delft (pop. 100,046) is a Dutch town near The Hague. Many of Delft’s old buildings and picturesque canals have been preserved. One famous building, the Prinsenhof, now a museum, is the place where William I of Orange was assassinated in 1584. The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), built in the 1400’s, contains the tombs of William I and other rulers of the House of Orange. Many painters, including Jan Vermeer and Pieter de Hooch, lived and worked in Delft. Hugo Grotius, the famous philosopher, legal scholar, and poet, was born there in 1583.
The manufacture of delft pottery was once Delft’s most famous industry (see Delft ). Only a few craftspeople continue the tradition. Today, Delft produces metal and electrical machinery. It is the home of Delft University of Technology, a large technical university.
