Discover the Linnaeus Tower in Harderwijk: a late Gothic national monument from 1570 featuring a bust of botanist Linnaeus. Visit this unique piece of history!
The Linnaeus Tower is closed throughout the year and cannot be viewed from the inside on this Heritage Day either. The staircase in the Linnaeus Tower is narrow, so not many people can go up at the same time anyway. The Linnaeus Tower was built in the 16th century and served as a stairwell. The internal staircase provided access to the floors of the Commandery, the headquarters of the Order of St. John. The other buildings of the monastic order were located in 's-Heeren Loo (municipality of Ermelo). A memorial stone (dated 1570) and two coats of arms (on the left the family crest of Commander Ten Start and on the right the crest of the Order of St. John) commemorate the completion of the building. During the academic era, it served as a prison for students. The name came into vogue after a bust of the Swedish botanist Linnaeus, who received his doctorate here in 1735, was placed in a niche in the turret in 1869.
