The Armhuis in Tzum

An armhuis is what we would refer to as a work house or poor house. Although some orphans may have lived there, it was not strictly an orphanage. The floor plan for the armhuis in Tzum shows there was a special room for children (kinderkamer). There was also a room for the sick (ziekenzaal) and a room for the general population (verblijfzaal). 

The armhuis was run by father and mother figures, who had their own room (woonkamer vader en moeder). 

The armhuis was financed primarily by the municipality of Franeker. 

The armhuis was dismantled and re-built several times over the years. The last time was in the 1960s. 

As luck would have it, some of the beams and bricks were re-used to create the room addition that today serves as a Bed and Breakfast, just outside of Tzum. The proprietor’s words to me were, “You are sleeping under the same beams your great grandfather slept under”.