Het Spinhuis

The Spinhuis is the old spinning house. It was founded in 1597 as a penitentiary for women, convicted women were kept here and forced to sew garments. Young ladies who were guilty of fornication in brothels and inns, arrested for drunkenness or had committed adultery were put to work here to be chastened and corrected. Women convicted of theft or greater offenses were kept separate from the others, and were required to read and reread from the Bible.

Above the entrance reads “to shun paltry girls, maggots and women, beggers, this spider house was founded here". Spider house being the name used for a women’s prison where work was performed to better the economy under discipline.

A a gate with a relief was added during the 1645 rebuilding depicting the flogging of two women. Below it are two lines:

Do not be alarmed I do not avenge evil but force good

Punishment is my hand, but sweetly mine

The most famous story around this place is that about a young girl and a monk. Opposite of this spin house was a clergy house, now a famous hotel. A priest from there fell madly in love with a young girl, and remember young back then meant young… when they were found out she was sentenced to spend the rest of her life working at the spin house while he was protected by the church.

The monk felt terrible. His room overlooked the spin house and the pain was too much for him. He hung himself in that room. Do so meant the committing of two cardinal sins and he is said to be condemned to repeat this hanging of himself every night forever.

Guests staying at that hotel complain of being awoken each night at the same time by a strange noise, many believe that is the sound of his repeated hanging.