Old Bornhof - Zutphen

The Old Bornhof is Zutphen's largest residential courtyard. In. the middle you will find Huize Borro, the former residence of the wealthy churchman Borro. He was employed by the adjacent St Walburgis church. He wanted his house and money to be made available to the poor elderly after his death, as pensions did not exist then. He notified the municipality of this in 1320. Later that year, Borro died and the poor elderly and sick could live there.

For centuries, the hofje was inhabited by senior citizens. However, under a number of conditions: the citizens could not have been accused of irreproachable behaviour in their lives, had to have been registered as citizens in Zutphen for at least ten years or have lived in the city for more than twenty years, be between 50 and 60 years old, and be Reformed, Lutheran or Mennonite. Also, once they came to live in the court, they had to surrender all their possessions to the house.

In the early 19th century, the Oude Bornhof underwent renovation and expansion and took on the shape you see it in today. Behind the gate, decorated with statues of a bent man and woman, you can see the green courtyard garden. A statue of Maïté Duval stands in the lawn. Today, the former Huize Borro houses a catering establishment.