History of the building
A Medieval claustral house in the heart of Utrecht. The Faculty Club was once the home of the canons of the Dom church, which was the Dutch centre of power north of the great rivers for centuries. A historical location. Today, the Faculty Club is one of the most surprising places in the city. Located at the back of Utrecht University Hall (Dutch name: Academiegebouw) with a beautiful garden, where you only hear the bells of the Dom toll. Here, students graduate, PhD defences and inaugural lectures take place, and you can enjoy dazzling gastronomy. It is a house for meetings, debates, lectures and conferences. There is no better place for an academic Association.
About the building
The history of the building goes all the way back to Medieval times. A canon of the Dom built a big stone house on chapter-owned land, which was called a claustral house. It consisted of a tower and a wing.
1600: The construction
The residential tower was built in 1600, with the entrance at Achter de Dom. The wing was built around fifty years later. The final resident sold the property to the Dutch government in 1810, which then transferred ownership to the city of Utrecht by Imperial Decree in 1813. The city used it as police headquarters.
1867: Utrecht University
In 1867, Utrecht University started using the property. They had it furnished as a University Hall. The former jailer's lodge next to the tower became the Beadle's residence. In 1892, the former Chapter Hall of the Dom, and the former claustral house, became a part of the then completed Utrecht University Hall as we know it today. The Beadle's residence was demolished.
1998: Faculty Club
In 1998, the house received its current function. After a long and varied 'career' as a residence, prison, police station, curator's office and classroom complex, the building was renamed the 'sitting-room of Utrecht University', also known as Faculty Club.
More on the history of the property Achter de Dom 7 can be found in the booklet "Achter de Dom 7", volume 7 of the Utrechtse Monumentenreeks. This booklet is available for purchase in the Faculty Club for 5 euros.