Premises of the Tweede Kamer

Located in the centre of the Hague, the Dutch Houses of Parliament consist of a group of buildings dating from the 13th to 20th centuries, erected around the Inner Court (Binnenhof) and reflected on one side in the still water of the picturesque Court Pond (Hofvijver). Centrepiece of the Binnenhof complex is the Gothic Hall of Knights (Ridderzaal), which was built in 1280. The Dutch parliament is called de Staten-Generaal (the States-General). It consists of two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives, which sit in separate chambers. Joint sittings of both chambers are held on special occasions in the Hall of Knights. At the end of the 18th century, Stadholder Willem V had a palace built at the Binnenhof. In 1815 the House of Representatives gathered here for the first time. Since then, the complex of buildings has often been adapted to meet the needs of parliament. The House of Representatives is housed in five main buildings that were linked to each other in 1992 following major building work