Crackstate

The Crackstate is a monumental stins in the Dutch town of Heerenveen, Friesland. It was built in 1648 by order of Johannes Sytzes Crack, the namesake of the estate. It is currently property of the municipality of Heerenveen and functions as wedding chapel.

The Crackstate was built in 1648 by order of Johannes Sytzes Crack, grietman of Aengwirden, on the site where a stins stood dating from 1599. The design was probably by Willem de Keyser, son of the famous Hendrick de Keyser. The building therefore has a somewhat Amsterdam feel. It is surrounded by a moat. The bridge over the moat dates from 1775, as stated on a foundation stone. The gate for the bridge comes from the area around Hoorn, mentioning the year 1819. Until 1833, the stins served as a residence of the Crack family. After that, the building became the property of the Dutch state.

In 1890, a prison was added. For more than a century, the building served as a courthouse and as a Huis van Arrest (prison). During the Second World War, torture and executions took place in this prison by members of the Nazi German Sicherheitsdienst (SD). The prison was demolished in 1973 and a monument was erected in 1995 to commemorate the prisoners.

In 1949, the Crackstate became the property of the municipality. Since 1952, the building has served as the town hall of Heerenveen. In 1993, a new town hall was built next to the state. The two buildings are connected. The wedding chapel and offices of the mayor and aldermen are in the monumental building.

The Crackstate has a tower with a dome, which was probably used as a lookout post. In 1962, a carillon with 37 bells was placed in it, which was overhauled in 1985 and expanded with two bells.

The stins was designated rijksmonument status on 13 February 1967.

Text adapted from “Crackstate” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Crackstate ranks #6,352 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #118 of the 200 mapped in Netherlands. Founded 1648, it is older than 28% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 580 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Zwolle, 51 km away. See how Netherlands compares in the castle statistics.

View on the interactive castle map →

Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗