Catshuis

The Catshuis (originally Huis Sorghvliet ) located at Scheveningseweg in The Hague in the Netherlands, since 1963, the official residence of the Dutch Prime Minister and the reception center of the government.

The ground floor houses the representative rooms for heads of state and working visits, as well as other important receptions of the Prime Minister. In the basement of the building services, sanitation and kitchen are housed. Upstairs is the fully furnished service apartment that can take advantage of private, the Prime Minister. The Catshuis belongs to the estate of the Dutch Ministerie van Algemene Zaken (comparable to the Federal Chancellery).

History

The house was built by Jacob Cats (1577-1660), a Dutch poet and politician, on the Landgoed Sorghvliet. Cats took Huis Sorghvliet, as he called it on 14 July 1652 use. Originally, the house had no floor. On the building site formerly stood a farm whose apartment building has been processed in the left part of the house.

1675 came into possession of the estate of Hans Willem Bentinck, valet of the future governor of the Netherlands William III. His son Willem Bentinck left, 1738 placed on the roof of Catshuis a bell tower with a bronze bell. The house was a beehive, which was rebuilt at the end of the 20th century and now Bentinck Bijenstal ( Benticks hive ) is called.

In the 18th century, extensive gardens and a zoo of Sorghvliet were widely known. They were comparable to the palace grounds of the Royal Palace Het Loo. In the 19th century the gardens, walkways, fountains, and the Orangerie were replaced by lawns.

Rehabilitation 1999-2004

Since the Catshuis where nothing had been changed since 1963, no longer met the structural requirements, has begun a renovation in 1999. The events of 11 September 2001 added the safety requirements add an additional dimension. The cost of the renovation amounted to approximately 15 million euros. During the renovation, the Catshuis for residential purposes or representative receptions was not available.

End of January 2004 it was announced that the implementing planning authority, the Rijksgebouwendienst while the rehabilitation work illegally antique fireplaces and ceiling had had to cancel.

Fire in May 2004

On 15 May 2004 broke while working from a fire. A large part of the ground floor was destroyed by fire, other parts of the building suffered smoke and water damage. A painter died as a result of the fire.

The building could not be used during the time of the Dutch Presidency of the EU 2004 due to the damage. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende had wanted to receive high-level visit here.

An investigation by the Koninklijke Marechaussee and Arbeidsinspectie showed that had been worked by the painters with dilution. Such solvents could no longer be used indoors since 2000. A court in The Hague ordered the painting company to pay a fine for a violation of the OSH Act. Then the judge said verbatim:

"Het kan niet dan ook haast different zijn dan dat geweest naast verdachte ook de betrokken ambtenaren van de Rijksgebouwendienst en het Ministerie van Algemene Zaken van het gebruik van thinner door verdachte op zijn de hoogte Möten geweest. "

"It can not have been different even almost as if that in addition to the defendants, the officers of the Rijksgebouwendienst ( empire building service) and the Ministerie van Algemene Zaken must have been (Ministry of General Affairs ) on the use of solvents by the defendant at the height. "

2008, known by instructions of the fire expert Peter Reijman and a study of the Dutch police irregularities. Important documents that had reference to the fire in Catshuis were in the archives of the chief prosecutor. In the Dutch media it was presented as a cover-up scandal in 2009.

Putting into use in 2006

Meanwhile, the Catshuis been taken without much attention on 11 September 2006 as an informal meeting of the government back into use.