View source for Delft

{{other uses}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Delft
| settlement_type         = [[List of cities in the Netherlands by province|City]] and [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]]
| image_skyline           = Delft Blick von der Nieuwe Kerk auf die Oude Kerk 1.jpg
| image_alt               =
| image_caption           = A view of Delft with the [[Oude Kerk (Delft)|Oude Kerk]] in the centre
| image_flag              = Flag of Delft.svg
| flag_size               = 100x67px
| image_size              = 280px
| image_shield            = Coat of arms of Delft.svg
| shield_size             = 100x80px
| shield_alt              =
| nickname                = Prinsenstad (Prince City)
| image_map               = Map - NL - Municipality code 0503 (2009).svg
| map_alt                 = Highlighted position of Delft in a municipal map of South Holland
| map_caption             = Location in South Holland
| pushpin_map             = Netherlands#Europe
| pushpin_map_caption     = Location within the Netherlands##Location within Europe
| pushpin_relief          = 1
| coordinates             = {{coord|52|0|42|N|4|21|33|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   =
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = Netherlands
| subdivision_type1       = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[South Holland]]
| seat_type               = [[Seat of local government|City Hall]]
| seat                    = [[Delft City Hall|City Hall]]
| government_footnotes    = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web |url=http://www.delft.nl/Inwoners/Gemeente_en_democratie/Bestuur/College/Burgemeester_Verkerk/Maak_kennis_met |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130718193055/http://www.delft.nl/Inwoners/Gemeente_en_democratie/Bestuur/College/Burgemeester_Verkerk/Maak_kennis_met |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 July 2013 |title=Maak kennis met. |trans-title=Meet. |language=nl |work=Burgermeester Verkerk |publisher=Gemeente Delft |access-date=18 July 2013}}</ref>
| governing_body          = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
| leader_party            = [[Democrats 66|D66]]
| leader_title            = [[Burgemeester|Mayor]]
| leader_name             = [[Alexander Pechtold]]
| unit_pref               = Metric
| area_footnotes          = <ref>{{Dutch municipality total area|dataref}}</ref>
| area_total_km2          = {{Dutch municipality total area|Delft}}
| area_land_km2           = {{Dutch municipality land area|Delft}}
| area_water_km2          = {{Dutch municipality water area|Delft}}
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web |url=http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool |title=Postcodetool for 2611GX |language=nl |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |work=Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland |publisher=Het Waterschapshuis |access-date = 18 July 2013}}</ref>
| elevation_m             = 0
| elevation_max_footnotes = 
| elevation_max_m         =
| elevation_min_footnotes = 
| elevation_min_m         =
| population_footnotes    = <ref>{{Dutch municipality population|dataref}}</ref>
| population_total        = {{Dutch municipality population|Delft}}
| population_as_of        = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
| population_density_km2  = {{Dutch municipality population density|Delft}}
| population_demonyms     = {{ubl|Delftenaar|Delvenaar}}
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcodes]]
| postal_code             = 2600–2629
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code               = 015
| website                 = {{URL|1=http://www.delft.nl}}
}}
[[File:Gem-Delft-OpenTopo1654Explosion.png|thumb|A 2018 map of the Delft municipality with the [[epicenter]] of the 1654 explosion superimposed on the Paardenmarkt, the site's present occupant.]]
'''Delft''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈdɛl(ə)ft|-|Nl-Delft.ogg}}) is a [[List of cities in the Netherlands by province|city]] and [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] in the [[Provinces of the Netherlands|province]] of [[South Holland]], Netherlands. It is located between [[Rotterdam]], to the southeast, and [[The Hague]], to the northwest. Together with them, it is a part of both the [[Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area]] and the [[Randstad]].

Delft is a popular tourist destination in the Netherlands, famous for its historical connections with the reigning [[House of Orange-Nassau]], for its [[Delftware|blue pottery]], for being home to the painter [[Johannes Vermeer|Jan Vermeer]], and for hosting [[Delft University of Technology]] (TU Delft). Historically, Delft played a highly influential role in the [[Dutch Golden Age]].<ref>Huerta, Robert D.: ''Giants of Delft: Johannes Vermeer and the Natural Philosophers: The Parallel Search for Knowledge during the Age of Discovery''. (Pennsylvania: Bucknell University Press, 2003)</ref><ref>[[Timothy Brook|Brook, Timothy]]: ''[[Vermeer's Hat|Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World]]''. (Bloomsbury Press, 2009, {{ISBN|978-1596915992}})</ref><ref>[[Walter Liedtke|Liedtke, Walter]]; Plomp, Michiel C.; [[Axel Rüger|Rüger, Axel]]; Baarsen, Reinier J.: ''Vermeer and the Delft School''. (NYC: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013, {{ISBN|978-0300200294}})</ref><ref>[[Laura J. Snyder|Snyder, Laura J.]]: ''Eye of the Beholder: Johannes Vermeer, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, and the Reinvention of Seeing''. (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, {{ISBN|978-0393352887}})</ref> In terms of science and technology, thanks to the pioneering contributions of [[Antonie van Leeuwenhoek]]<ref>Ruestow, Edward G.: ''The Microscope in the Dutch Republic: The Shaping of Discovery''. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996)</ref><ref>Fournier, Marian: ''The Fabric of Life: The Rise and Decline of Seventeenth-Century Microscopy''. (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, {{ISBN|978-0801851384}})</ref> and [[Martinus Beijerinck]],<ref>Artenstein, Andrew W.: ''The discovery of viruses: advancing science and medicine by challenging dogma''. (''International Journal of Infectious Diseases'', Volume 16, Issue 7, July 2012, pages: e470-e473). {{doi|10.1016/j.ijid.2012.03.005}}. Andrew W. Artenstein: "By 1895 Beijerinck had returned to academia after leaving the [[Wageningen University|Agricultural School]] for a 10-year stint in industrial microbiology in Delft, the South Holland birthplace of [[Antonie van Leeuwenhoek|van Leeuwenhoek]], one of the founding fathers of microbiology. During his first years at the [[Technical University of Delft]], Beijerinck resumed the research on [[tobacco mosaic disease]] that he had started while working with [[Adolf Mayer|Mayer]]. Even then, he had appreciated that the affliction was microbial in nature, although he felt that the actual agents had yet to be discovered. Beijerinck's investigations at Delft proved fruitful; he not only confirmed the infectivity of the [[contagium vivum fluidum]]—soluble living germ—despite filtration, but he importantly demonstrated that unlike bacteria, the culprit of tobacco disease of plants was incapable of independent growth, requiring the presence of living, dividing host cells in order to replicate."</ref> Delft can be considered to be the birthplace of [[microbiology]].

==History==
{{see also|Timeline of Delft}}

===Early history===
[[File:Cornelis Springer, The Gemeenlandshuis and the Old Church, Delft, Summer (1877).jpg|thumb|upright|right|The Gemeenlandshuis and the Old Church, Delft, Summer by [[Cornelis Springer]], 1877]]
[[File:Antique map of Delft, Netherlands by Blaeu J. 1649.jpg|thumb|upright|right|A map of Delft in 1649, by [[Joan Blaeu]]]]

The city of Delft came into being beside a canal, the 'Delf', which comes from the word ''delven'', meaning to delve or dig, and this led to the name Delft. At the elevated place where this 'Delf' crossed the creek wall of the silted up river Gantel, a Count established his [[Manor house|manor]], probably around 1075. Partly because of this, Delft became an important market town, the evidence for which can be seen in the size of its central market square.

Having been a rural village in the early Middle Ages, Delft developed into a city, and on 15 April 1246, [[William II of Holland|Count Willem II]] granted Delft its [[City rights in the Netherlands|city charter]]. Trade and industry flourished. In 1389 the Delfshavensche Schie canal was dug through to the river [[Nieuwe Maas|Maas]], where the port of [[Delfshaven]] was built, connecting Delft to the sea.

Until the 17th century, Delft was one of the major cities of the then county (and later province) of [[County of Holland|Holland]]. In 1400, for example, the city had 6,500 inhabitants, making it the third largest city after [[Dordrecht]] (8,000) and [[Haarlem]] (7,000). By 1560, Amsterdam, with 28,000 inhabitants, had become the largest city, followed by Delft, Leiden and Haarlem, which each had around 14,000 inhabitants.

In 1536, a large part of the city was destroyed by the great fire of Delft.

The town's association with the [[House of Orange]] started when [[William the Silent|William of Orange]] (Willem van Oranje), nicknamed [[William the Silent]] (Willem de Zwijger), took up residence in 1572 in the former Saint-Agatha convent (subsequently called the Prinsenhof). At the time he was the leader of growing national Dutch resistance against Spanish occupation, known as the [[Eighty Years' War]]. By then Delft was one of the leading cities of [[County of Holland|Holland]] and was equipped with the necessary [[city wall]]s to serve as a headquarters. In October 1573, an attack by Spanish forces was repelled in the [[Battle of Delft (1573)|Battle of Delft]].

After the [[Act of Abjuration]] was proclaimed in 1581, Delft became the ''[[de facto]]'' [[Capital city|capital]] of the newly independent Dutch Republic, as the seat of the Stadtholder, the [[Prince of Orange]].

When William was shot dead on 10 July 1584 by [[Balthazar Gerards]] in the hall of the Prinsenhof (now the [[Museum Het Prinsenhof|Prinsenhof Museum]]), the family's traditional burial place in [[Breda (Netherlands)|Breda]] was still in the hands of the Spanish. Therefore, he was buried in the Delft [[Nieuwe Kerk, Delft|Nieuwe Kerk]] (New Church), starting a tradition for the House of Orange that has continued to the present day.

Around this time, Delft also occupied a prominent position in the field of printing.

A number of Italian glazed earthenware makers settled in the city and introduced a new style. The tapestry industry also flourished when famous manufacturer François Spierincx moved to the city. In the 17th century, Delft experienced a new heyday, thanks to the presence of an office of the [[Dutch East India Company]] (VOC) (opened in 1602) and the manufacture of [[Delftware|Delft Blue china]].

The population in 1848 was estimated at 15,000 inhabitants.<ref>{{cite book |title=The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge |date=1848 |publisher=Charles Knight |location=London |page=295 Vol V |edition=First}}</ref>

A number of notable artists based themselves in the city, including [[Leonard Bramer]], [[Carel Fabritius]], [[Pieter de Hoogh]], [[Gerard Houckgeest]], [[Emanuel de Witte]], [[Jan Steen]], and [[Johannes Vermeer]].
[[Reinier de Graaf]] and [[Antonie van Leeuwenhoek]] received international attention for their scientific research.

===Explosion===
[[File:Delftsedonderslag.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Egbert van der Poel]]: ''A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654'']]
[[File:Kruithuis.jpg|thumb|The "new" gunpowder store "Kruithuis", built in 1660 on the water of the [[Delftse Schie]] for public safety, today in use as a clubhouse]]
{{see also|:nl:Delftse donderslag|:de:Delfter Donnerschlag}}
The Delft Explosion, also known in history as the Delft Thunderclap, occurred on 12 October 1654<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.radionetherlandsarchives.org/the-day-the-world-came-to-an-end-the-great-delft-thunderclap-of-1654/ |title=The Day the World Came to an End: the Great Delft Thunderclap of 1654 |date=14 October 2004 |publisher=Radio Netherlands }}</ref> when a [[gunpowder]] store exploded, destroying much of the city. More than 100 were killed and thousands were injured.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cumming |first=Laura |year=2023 |title= Thunderclap: A Memoir of Art and Life and Sudden Death |location=New York |publisher=Scribner  |isbn=978-1-9821-8174-1 }}</ref>

About {{cvt|30|t|1|lk=on}} of gunpowder were stored in [[Barrel (storage)|barrels]] in a [[Magazine (artillery)|magazine]] in a former [[Order of Poor Ladies|Clarist]] [[convent]] in the Doelenkwartier district, where the Paardenmarkt is now located. Cornelis Soetens, the keeper of the magazine, opened the store to check a sample of the powder and a huge explosion followed. Fortunately, many citizens were away, visiting a market in [[Schiedam]] or a fair in [[The Hague]].

Today, the explosion is primarily remembered for killing [[Rembrandt]]'s most promising pupil, [[Carel Fabritius]], and destroying nearly all his works.

Delft artist [[Egbert van der Poel]] painted several pictures of Delft showing the devastation.

The gunpowder store (Dutch: Kruithuis) was subsequently re-housed, a 'cannonball's distance away', outside the city, in a new building designed by architect [[Pieter Post]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historie: Het Kruithuis |language=nl |publisher=Scoutcentrum Delft |url=https://www.scoutcentrumdelft.nl/historie }}</ref>

==Sights==
[[File:View of Delft, by Johannes Vermeer.jpg|thumb|''[[View of Delft]]'' by [[Johannes Vermeer]], 1660–1661]]
[[File:Pieter Wouwerman - Gezicht op de Paardenmarkt te Delft.jpg|thumb|right|''View of the horse market in Delft'' by [[Pieter Wouwerman]], 1665]]
The city centre retains a large number of monumental buildings, while in many streets there are [[canal]]s of which the banks are connected by typical bridges, altogether making this city a notable tourist destination.<ref name="Dunford2010">{{cite book |author=Martin Dunford |title=The Rough Guide to The Netherlands |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8j03xxJasTMC&pg=PA393 |access-date=24 November 2011 |year=2010 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-84836-882-8 |page=169}}</ref>

Historical buildings and other sights of interest include:
*[[Oude Kerk, Delft|Oude Kerk]] (Old Church), constructed between 1246 and 1350. Buried here: [[Piet Pieterszoon Hein|Piet Hein]], [[Johannes Vermeer]], [[Anthony van Leeuwenhoek|Antonie van Leeuwenhoek]].
*[[Nieuwe Kerk, Delft|Nieuwe Kerk]] (New Church), constructed between 1381 and 1496. It contains the Dutch royal family's [[burial vault (tomb)|burial vault]] which, between funerals, is sealed with a {{cvt|5000|kg|-1}} cover stone.
*A statue of [[Hugo Grotius]] created by {{ill|Franciscus Leonardus Stracké|nl}} in 1886, located on the Markt near the Nieuwe Kerk.
*The [[Prinsenhof]] (Princes' Court), now a museum.<ref name="Dunford2010"/>
*[[City Hall (Delft)|City Hall]] on the Markt.
*The [[Eastern Gate (Delft)|Oostpoort]] (Eastern gate), built around 1400. This is the only remaining gate of the old city walls.
*The [[Gemeenlandshuis]] Delfland, or Huyterhuis, built in 1505, which has housed the Delfland regional [[Water board (Netherlands)|water authority]] since 1645.
*The [[Vermeer Centre]] in the re-built [[Guild of Saint Luke|Guild house of St. Luke]].
*The historical "Waag" building (Weigh house).
*Windmill [[De Roos]], a [[tower mill]] built {{Circa|1760}}. Restored to working order in 2013.<ref name=Mill>{{cite web |url=http://www.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=959 |title=Delft, Zuid-Holland |publisher=Molendatabase |language=nl |access-date=22 October 2014}}</ref> Another windmill that formerly stood in Delft, [[Het Fortuyn, Delft|Het Fortuyn]], was dismantled in 1917 and re-erected at the [[Netherlands Open Air Museum]], [[Arnhem]], [[Gelderland]] in 1920.
*Royal Delft also known as De Porceleyne Fles, is a great place which showcases Delft ware.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.royaldelft.com/ |title=Royal Delft. Ontdek de wereld van koninklijk Delfts Blauw. |website=www.royaldelft.com |access-date=2019-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Welcome to delfthuis.com |url=http://www.delfthuis.com/ |website=delfthuis.com}}</ref>
*Science Center attracts kids as well as adults.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tudelft.nl/sciencecentre/ |title=Science Centre Delft |website=TU Delft |language=nl |access-date=2020-01-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.museumkids.nl/museum/171 |title=Museumkids |website=Museumkids.nl |language=nl |access-date=2020-01-02}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Delft stadhuis.jpg|Delft City Hall
File:Delft poorte.jpg|Eastern Gate (''Oostpoort'')
File:Delft Oude Kerk 002.jpg|The Old Church tower
File:Oude Langendijk Delft.jpg|Oude Langendijk
</gallery>

==Culture==
[[File:Delft plate faience Famille Rose 1760 1780.jpg|thumb|Delft blue is most famous but there are other kinds of Delftware, like this plate faience in rose]]

Delft is well known for the [[Delftware|Delft pottery]] [[ceramic]] products<ref name="Dunford2010"/> which were styled on the imported [[China|Chinese]] [[porcelain]] of the 17th century. The city had an early start in this area since it was a home port of the [[Dutch East India Company]]. It can still be seen at the pottery factories [[De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles|De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles (or Royal Delft)]] and [[De Delftse Pauw]], while new ceramics and ceramic art can be found at the [[Gallery Terra Delft]].<ref name="KK 1996">Kitty Kilian, "[https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/1996/05/23/10-jaar-galerie-terra-keramisch-gezicht-op-delft-7310973-a912879 10 jaar galerie Terra; Keramisch gezicht op Delft]." ''NRC Handelsblad,'' 23 May 1996.</ref>

The painter [[Johannes Vermeer]] (1632–1675) was born in Delft. Vermeer used Delft streets and home interiors as the subject or background in his paintings.<ref name="Dunford2010"/>
Several other famous painters lived and worked in Delft at that time, such as [[Pieter de Hooch|Pieter de Hoogh]], [[Carel Fabritius]], [[Nicolaes Maes]], Gerard Houckgeest and Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet. They were all members of the [[Delft School (painting)|Delft School]]. The Delft School is known for its images of domestic life and views of households, church interiors, courtyards, squares and the streets of Delft. The painters also produced pictures showing historic events, flowers, portraits for patrons and the court as well as decorative pieces of art.

Delft supports creative arts' companies. From 2001 the {{ill|Bacinol (building)|lt=Bacinol|nl|Bacinol}}, a building that had been disused since 1951, began to house small companies in the creative arts sector.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Art on the streets of Delft |url=https://kunstwandelingdelft.nl/en/art-on-the-streets-of-delft/ |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=Kunstwandeling Delft |language=en-GB}}</ref> Its demolition started in December 2009, making way for the new railway tunnel in Delft. The occupants of the building, as well as the name 'Bacinol', moved to another building in the city. The name Bacinol relates to [[DSM (company)#History|Dutch penicillin research during WWII]].
<!-- not needed ? [[File:Demolition Bacinol 2009.JPG|thumb|Demolition of the building in December 2009.]] -->

==Education==
[[File:TU Delft buildings.jpg|thumb|TU Delft buildings]]
[[Delft University of Technology]] (TU Delft) is one of [[4TU|four universities of technology]] in the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.4tu.nl/en/ |title=4TU.Federation |website=4tu.nl}}</ref> It was founded as an academy for civil engineering in 1842 by [[William II of the Netherlands|King William II]]. As of 2022, well over 27,000 students are enrolled.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Studentenaantallen TU Delft stabiel |url=https://www.tudelft.nl/2022/tu-delft/studentenaantallen-tu-delft-stabiel |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204193400fw_/https://www.tudelft.nl/2022/tu-delft/studentenaantallen-tu-delft-stabiel |archive-date=December 4, 2023 |website=Delft University of Technology}}</ref>

The [[UNESCO-IHE]] Institute for Water Education, providing postgraduate education for people from developing countries, draws on the strong tradition in [[water management]] and [[hydraulic engineering]] of the Delft university.

[[The Hague University of Applied Sciences]] has a building on the Delft University of Technology campus. It opened in 2009<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vestiging Delft - De Haagse Hogeschool |url=https://www.dehaagsehogeschool.nl/over-de-haagse/vestigingen/vestiging-delft |access-date=2022-07-03 |website=www.dehaagsehogeschool.nl}}</ref> and offers several bachelor's degrees for the Faculty of Technology, Innovation & Society.

[[Inholland University of Applied Sciences]] also has a building on the Delft University of Technology campus. Several bachelor's degrees for the Agri, Food & Life Sciences faculty and the Engineering, Design and Computing faculty are being taught at the Delft campus.

==Economy==
In the local economic field, essential elements are:
*education; (amongst others [[Delft University of Technology]]) ({{As of|2017}} 21.651 students and 4.939 full-time employees),
*scientific research; (amongst others "TNO" [[Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research]]), Stichting Deltares, Nederlands Normalisatie-Instituut, [[UNESCO-IHE]] Institute for water education, [[Technopolis Innovation Park Delft|Technopolis Innovation Park]];
*tourism; (about one million registered visitors a year),
*industry; (DSM Gist Services BV, ([[Delftware]]) earthenware production by [[De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles]], [[Exact Holding|Exact Software Nederland BV]], TOPdesk, Ampelmann)
*retail; ([[IKEA]] (Inter IKEA Systems B.V., owner and worldwide franchisor of the IKEA Concept, is based in Delft), Makro, Eneco Energy NV).

==Nature and recreation==
[[File:Delft Plantagegeer.JPG|thumb|The ''Plantagegeer'', one of Delft's several smaller city parks]]
East of Delft lies a relatively large nature and recreation area called the "Delftse Hout" ("Delft Wood").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Delftse_Hout |title=Category:Delftse Hout |access-date=6 May 2015}}</ref> Through the forest lie bike, horse-riding and footpaths. It also includes a vast lake (suitable for swimming and windsurfing), narrow beaches, a restaurant, and community gardens, plus camping ground and other recreational and sports facilities. (There is also a facility for renting bikes from the station.)

Inside the city, apart from a central park, there are several smaller town parks, including "Nieuwe Plantage", "Agnetapark", "Kalverbos".
There is also the [[Botanical Garden]] of the TU and an [[arboretum]] in Delftse Hout.

==Notable people==
[[File:Zelfportret van de schilder met zijn gezin Rijksmuseum SK-A-1460.jpg|140px|thumb|Self portrait of Jacob Willemsz Delff and his family, ca. 1590]]
[[File:Cropped version of Jan Vermeer van Delft 002.jpg|140px|thumb|Jan Vermeer van Delft, 1656]]
[[File:Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt - Hugo Grotius.jpg|140px|thumb|portrait of Hugo Grotius, 1631]]
[[File:Frederik Hendrik by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt.jpg|140px|thumb|Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, ca. 1635]]
[[File:Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723). Natuurkundige te Delft Rijksmuseum SK-A-957.jpeg|140px|thumb|Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek, ca. 1680]]
[[File:Martinus Willem Beijerinck.png|140px|thumb|Martinus Beijerinck, 1931]]
[[File:Betsy Perk.jpg|140px|thumb|Betsy Perk]]
[[File:Stien Kaiser (1968).jpg|140px|thumb|Stien Kaiser, 1968]]
[[File:Ria Stalman 1982b.jpg|140px|thumb|Ria Stalman, 1982]]
Delft is the birthplace of:

=== Dutch Golden Age ===
*[[Jacob Willemsz Delff]] the Elder, (ca. 1550–1601), portrait painter
*[[Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt]] (1567–1641), painter
*[[Willem van der Vliet]] (c. 1584–1642), painter
*[[Adriaen van de Venne]] (1589–1662), painter
*[[Adriaen Cornelisz van Linschoten]] (1590–1677), painter
*[[Daniël Mijtens]] (ca. 1590–1647/48), portrait painter
*[[Leonaert Bramer]] (1596–1674), painter of genre, religious, and history paintings
*[[Pieter Jansz van Asch]] (1603–ca. 1678), painter
*[[Evert van Aelst]] (1602–1657), still life painter
*[[Hendrick Cornelisz. van Vliet]] (ca. 1611–1675), painter of church interiors
*[[Harmen Steenwijck]] (ca. 1612–ca. 1656), painter of [[still life]]s and fruit
*[[Jacob Willemsz Delff the Younger]] (1619–1661), portrait painter
*[[David Beck]] (1621–1656), portrait painter
*[[Egbert van der Poel]] (1621–1664), genre and landscape painter
*[[Daniel Vosmaer]] (1622–1666), painter
*[[Willem van Aelst]] (1627–1683), artist of [[still-life]]s
*[[Hendrick van der Burgh]] (1627–after 1664), genre painter
*[[Johannes Vermeer]] (1632–1675), painter of domestic interior scenes
*[[Ary de Milde]] (1634–1708), ceramist

=== Public thinking and service ===
*[[Christian van Adrichem]] (1533–1585), Catholic priest and theological writer<ref>{{cite Catholic Encyclopedia |wstitle=Christian_Kruik_van_Adrichem |volume=01 |short=x}}</ref>
*[[Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn]] (1556–1623), one of the first Dutchmen in Japan
*[[Hugo Grotius]] (1583–1645), humanist, diplomat, lawyer, theologian and jurist who laid the foundations for [[international law]]
*[[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange]] (1584–1647), sovereign [[prince of Orange]] and [[stadtholder]] of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders & Overijssel from 1625 to 1647
*[[Philippus Baldaeus]] (1632–1671), minister in [[Jaffna]]
*[[Diederik Durven]] (1676–1740), [[Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies]] from 1729 to 1732
*[[Abraham van der Weijden]] (1743–1773), ship's captain, initiated of [[Freemasonry in South Africa]]
*[[Gerrit Paape]] (1752–1803), painter of earthenware and stoneware, poet, journalist, novelist, judge, columnist and finally a ministerial civil servant
*[[Aegidius van Braam]] (1758–1822), naval [[vice-admiral]]
*[[Agneta Matthes]] (1847–1909), entrepreneur, manufactured yeast using the [[History of the cooperative movement|cooperative movement]] and housed workers at [[Agnetapark]]
*[[Henk Zeevalking]] (1922–2005), politician and jurist
*[[Piet Bukman]] (1934–2022), politician and diplomat
*[[Klaas de Vries (Labour Party)|Klaas de Vries]] (born 1943), politician and jurist
*[[Atzo Nicolaï]] (1960–2020), politician
*[[Alexander Pechtold]] (born 1965), politician and art historian

=== Science and business ===
*[[Adolphus Vorstius]] (1597–1663), physician and botanist
*[[Martin van den Hove]] (1605–1639), astronomer and mathematician
*[[Antonie van Leeuwenhoek]] (1632–1723), father of [[microbiology]] and developer of the [[microscope]]
*[[Nicolaas Kruik]] (1678–1754), land surveyor, cartographer, astronomer, weatherman and eponym of the [[Museum De Cruquius]]
*[[Bernard Romans]] (ca. 1720-ca. 1783), land surveyor, artist, naturalist, and author 
*[[Martin van Marum]] (1750–1837), physician, inventor, scientist and teacher<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Marum,_Martin_van |volume=17 |short=x}}</ref>
*[[Jacob Gijsbertus Samuël van Breda]] (1788–1867), biologist and geologist
*[[Philippe-Charles Schmerling]] (1791–1836), prehistorian, geologist and pioneer in [[paleontology]]
*[[Martinus Beijerinck]] (1851–1931), microbiologist, discovered [[virus]]es, lived and worked in Delft
*[[Guillaume Daniel Delprat]] [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1856–1937), metallurgist, mining engineer and businessman
*[[Frederik H. Kreuger]] (1928–2015), high-voltage scientist, academic and inventor
*[[Marjo van der Knaap]] (born 1958), professor of pediatric neurology, [[white matter]] researcher
*[[Antoni Folkers]] (born 1960), architect, humanist
*[[Peter Schrijver]] (born 1963), historical linguist
*[[Ionica Smeets]] (born 1979), mathematician, science journalist, TV presenter and academic
*[[Boyan Slat]] (born 1994), inventor and entrepreneur, CEO of [[The Ocean Cleanup]]

=== Art ===
*[[Suzanne Manet]] (1829–1906), pianist, wife and model of painter [[Édouard Manet]]
*[[Betsy Perk]] (1833–1906), author of novels and plays, pioneer of the Dutch women's movement
*[[Ton Lutz]] (1919–2009) and [[Pieter Lutz]] (1927–2009), brothers and actors<ref>{{cite web |title=Ton Lutz |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0527608/ |website=IMDb |access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref>
*[[Bram Bogart]] (1921–2012), expressionist painter of the [[COBRA (avant-garde movement)|COBRA]] group
*[[Cor Dam]] (1935–2019), sculptor, painter, illustrator and ceramist
*[[Kader Abdolah]] (born 1954), poet and columnist
*[[Michèle Van de Roer]] (born 1956), artist, designer, photographer and engraver
*[[Mariska Hulscher]] (born 1964), TV presenter<ref>{{cite web |title=Mariska Hulscher |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1506196/ |website=IMDb |access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref>
*[[Emma Kirchner]] (1830 - 1909), first woman photographer in Delft area<ref>{{Cite web |title=Depth of Field {{!}} Scherptediepte |url=https://depthoffield.universiteitleiden.nl/2035f06nl/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=depthoffield.universiteitleiden.nl}}</ref>
*[[Wessel van Diepen]] (born 1966), radio host, music producer and former TV presenter<ref>{{cite web |title=Wessel van Diepen |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5015260/ |website=IMDb |access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref>
*[[Rob Das]] (born 1969), film and TV actor, director and writer<ref>{{cite web |title=Rob Das |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0201909/ |website=IMDb}}</ref>
*[[Jan-Willem van Ewijk]] (born 1970), film director, actor and screenwriter<ref>{{cite web |title=Jan-Willem van Ewijk |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2438008/ |website=IMDb |access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref>
*[[Ricky Koole]] (born 1972) a Dutch singer and film actress<ref>{{cite web |title=Ricky Koole |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0465546/ |website=IMDb |access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref>
*[[Vincent de Moor]] (born 1973), [[trance music]]ian and remixer
*[[VanVelzen|Roel van Velzen]] (born 1978), singer
*[[Marly van der Velden]] (born 1988), actress and fashion designer<ref>{{cite web |title=Marly van der Velden |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1942606/ |website=IMDb |access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref>
*[[Rose Schmits]] (born c. 1988), potter and trans activist

=== Sport ===
*[[Jan Thomée]] (1886–1954), footballer, team bronze medallist at the [[1908 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Henri van Schaik]] (1899–1991), horse rider, team silver medallist in the [[1936 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Tinus Osendarp]] (1916–2002), sprint runner, twice bronze medallist at the [[1936 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Stien Kaiser]] (1938–2022), speed skater, twice bronze medallist at the [[1968 Winter Olympics]] and gold and silver medallist in the [[1972 Winter Olympics]]
*[[Pieter van der Kruk]] (1941–2020), heavyweight weightlifter and shot putter, competed at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Jan Timman]] (born 1951), chess grandmaster, raised in Delft
*[[Ria Stalman]] (born 1951), discus thrower and shot putter, gold medallist in the discus at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Frank Leistra]] (born 1960), field hockey goalkeeper, team bronze medallist at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Ken Monkou]] (born 1964), football player with 356 club caps
*[[Eeke van Nes]] (born 1969), rower, team bronze medallist at the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] and team silver medallist at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Thamar Henneken]] (born 1979), freestyle swimmer, team silver medallist at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Ard van Peppen]] (born 1985), footballer with over 350 club caps
*[[Sytske de Groot]] (born 1986), rower, team bronze medallist at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Aaron Meijers]] (born 1987), footballer with almost 400 club caps
*[[Michaëlla Krajicek]] (born 1989), tennis player
*[[Arantxa Rus]] (born 1990), tennis player
*[[Kelly Vollebregt]] (born 1995), handball player
*[[Victoria Pelova]] (born 1999), football player
*[[Tijmen van der Helm]] (born 2004), racing driver

==Miscellaneous==
[[File:Nuna3atZandvoort1.JPG|thumb|One of the 8 different Nuna cars]]

*[[Nuna]] is a series of crewed solar-powered vehicles, built by students at the Delft University of Technology, that won the [[World solar challenge]] in Australia seven times in the last nine competitions (in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015 and 2017).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldsolarchallenge.org/dashboard/timing |title=World Solar Challenge 2017 |website=worldsolarchallenge.org |access-date=2017-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016115813/https://worldsolarchallenge.org/dashboard/timing |archive-date=2017-10-16 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*The so-called "[[Superbus (transport)|Superbus]]" project aims to develop high-speed coaches capable of speeds of up to {{cvt|250|km/h|0|abbr=out}} together with the supporting infrastructure including special highway lanes constructed separately next to the nation's highways; this project was led by Dutch astronaut professor [[Wubbo Ockels]] of the Delft University of Technology.
*Members of both Delft Student Rowing Clubs [[Proteus-Eretes]] and Laga have won many international trophies, including Olympic medals, in the past.
*Formula Student Team Delft is a student racing team that has won the Formula Student competition format in Germany three times in a row, their workplace is located along the shie.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fsteamdelft.nl/|title=HOME|website=DUT23}}</ref>
*The Human Power Team Delft & Amsterdam, a team consisting mainly of students from the Delft University of Technology, has won The World Human Powered Speed Challenge (WHPSC) four times. This is an international contest for [[recumbent bicycle|recumbents]] in the US state of Nevada, the aim of which is to break speed records.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2016/speedchallenge.htm |title=The Recumbent Bicycle and Human Powered Vehicle Information Center |website=recumbents.com}}</ref> They set the [[Sebastiaan Bowier|world record]] of 133.78 kilometres an hour (83.13&nbsp;mph) in 2013.

==International relations==

===Twin towns ===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Netherlands}}
Delft is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>(source: Delft municipality guide 2005)</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
*{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Aarau]], Switzerland
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Adapazarı]], Turkey
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Castrop-Rauxel]], Germany<ref name="RuhrTwins2010">{{cite web |url=http://www.twins2010.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pic/Dokumente/List_of_Twin_Towns_01.pdf?PHPSESSID=2edd34819db21e450d3bb625549ce4fd |title=List of Twin Towns in the Ruhr District |publisher=© 2009 www.twins2010.com |access-date=2009-10-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225064042/http://www.twins2010.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pic/Dokumente/List_of_Twin_Towns_01.pdf?PHPSESSID=2edd34819db21e450d3bb625549ce4fd |archive-date=2021-02-25}}</ref>
||
*{{flagicon|NCA}} [[Estelí]], Nicaragua
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Freiberg]], Germany
*{{flagicon|PRC}} [[Jingdezhen]], China
||
*{{flagicon|UK}} [[Kingston upon Thames]], United Kingdom
*{{flagicon|RSA}} [[Pretoria]], South Africa
*{{flagicon|BIH}} [[Tuzla]], Bosnia and Herzegovina
|}

==Transport==
*[[Delft railway station]]; (As of February 2015, located in a new building.)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Spoorzone-project |title=Category:Spoorzone-project |access-date=6 May 2015}}</ref>
*[[Delft Campus railway station]]
Trains stopping at these stations connect Delft with, among others, the nearby cities of [[Rotterdam]] and [[The Hague]], as often as every five minutes, for most of the day.

There are several bus routes from Delft to similar destinations. [[Tram]]s frequently travel between Delft and [[Trams in The Hague|The Hague]] and [[Leidschendam]].

The whole city center and adjacent areas are a paid on-street parking area. In 2018, with the day parking fee of 29.5 Euro, it was the most expensive on-street parking area in the Netherlands, with the city centers of [[Deventer]] and [[Dordrecht]] being second and third, respectively.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Parkeer Puzzel |journal=[[Kampioen]] |date=April 2018 |issue=4 |pages=18–21 |publisher=[[Royal Dutch Touring Club]] |language=nl}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Delftware]]
*[[Delft School (painting)|Delft School]] ([[Dutch Golden Age painting]])
*[[Dutch Golden Age]]
*[[List of films set in Delft]]
*[[RandstadRail]]
*[[Tanthof]]
*[[Bicycle-friendly]]

== Gallery ==
{|
| [[File:Delft - Visbrug.jpg|thumb|168px|Delft city view]]
| [[File:Delft - building.jpg|thumb|168px|"Gemeenlandshuis"]]
| [[File:Nieuwe-Kerk-vanuit-het-westen.JPG|168px|thumb|Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)]]
| [[File:Legermuseum delft.jpg|thumb|168px|[[Legermuseum]] (Army museum)]]
|}
{|
| [[File:Delft Central Market Square.jpg |275px|thumb|Central Market Square]]
| [[File:Delft centre.JPG|thumb|148px|City sight ("Vrouw Juttenland")]]
| [[File:Huybrechtstoren delft 2.JPG|thumb|163px|Huybrechtstower]]
| [[File:Koornbeurs delft.jpg|thumb|88px|"Koornbeurs"]]
|}
{|
| [[File:Delft observatory.jpg|177px|thumb|Observatory]]
| [[File:Delft Station.jpg|thumb|172px|Former station building]]
| [[File:20170720 Delft station 01.jpg|thumb|175px|New station building]]
| [[File:Delftse Schie at sundown.JPG|thumb|162px|Main canal [[Schie|"Delftse Schie"]] at sundown]]
|}
{|
| [[File:Delft, het Blauwe Hart van plexiglas en staal bij de Nieuwe Kerk foto7 niet-ontwikkelt 2016-03-13.jpg|Sculpture near the church|170px|thumb]]
| [[File:Delft, straatzicht Oosteinde vanaf de Molslaan foto7 2016-03-13 10.54.jpg|Streetview (het Oosteinde)|205px|thumb]]
| [[File:Delft, straatzicht Dertienhuizen-Verwersdijk foto4 2016-03-13 11.29.jpg|Streetview (Dertienhuizen)|170px|thumb]]
| [[File:Delft, de Lutherse kerk in straatzicht RM11951 foto6 2016-03-13 11.55.jpg|[[Lutherse Kerk (Delft)|Lutherse Kerk]]|170px|thumb]]
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

===References===
*{{cite book |last1=Lourens |first1=Piet |last2=Lucassen |first2=Jan |title=Inwonertallen van Nederlandse steden ca. 1300–1800 |year=1997 |place=Amsterdam |publisher=NEHA |isbn=9057420082}}

==Further reading==
{{See also|Timeline of Delft#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Delft}}
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Delft |volume= 07 }}
*Vermeer: A View of Delft, Anthony Bailey, Henry Holt & Company, 2001, {{ISBN|0-8050-6718-3}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links |wikt=Delft |commons=Delft |b=no |n=no |q=no |s=no |v=no |voy=Delft |species=no |d=no}}
*[http://www.delft.nl/ Municipal Website of Delft]
*[[Radio Netherlands]]: [https://web.archive.org/web/20041225161614/http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/features/cultureandhistory/041011doc The day the world came to an end]
*[[National Gallery, London]]: [https://web.archive.org/web/20080911094833/http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=NG1061 A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20161003092913/http://headline.icnx.net/delft-tu-develop-ambulance-drone/ TU Delft Develop Ambulance Drone]

<!--Please note that not all directions need to be filled-->
<!--Please note that only other municipalities or bodies of water should be used-->
{{Geographic location
|Centre = Delft
|North  = [[Rijswijk]], [[The Hague]]
|East   = [[Pijnacker-Nootdorp]]
|South  = [[Rotterdam]]
|West   = [[Midden-Delfland]]
}}
{{South Holland Province}}
{{Authority control}}

<!-- Explosion categories on the redirect -->

[[Category:Delft| ]]
[[Category:Cities in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Municipalities of South Holland]]
[[Category:Populated places in South Holland]]
[[Category:Industrial fires and explosions]]