Page "Grote Kerk, Haarlem" Paragraph 38

Until 1831 graves were allowed in the church, and many illustrious Haarlemmers through the centuries are buried there.

Often people were buried under family gravestones, and the family shields of illustrious families are mounted on diamond shaped " plaques " hanging on the walls.

Other illustrious Haarlemmers were buried in individual graves such as the rich Pieter Teyler van der Hulst and Willem van Heythuisen.

The painters Maarten van Heemskerck ( as a former church koster, he is buried in the kerstkapel ), Frans Hals ( who was buried in his first wife's grandfather's grave, Nicolaes Ghyblant, but who received his own gravestone in 1962 ), Saenredam himself ( in the South choir way near the entrance ), and Jacob van Ruysdael and Salomon van Ruysdael.

The two circus curiosities, the giant Daniel Cajanus with his midget friend Jan Paap, are buriied there.

The last burial there was for Willem Bilderdijk.