Haarlem, city in the western Netherlands, capital of Noord-Holland (North Holland) Province, on the Spaarne River, near the North Sea and about 20 km (12 mi) west of Amsterdam. The chief industries of Haarlem are printing, publishing, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, Haarlem is the center of a prosperous trade in bulbs, particularly tulip and hyacinth. A notable building in the city is the church of Saint Bavo (Grote Kerk), constructed between 1390 and 1520, and containing an organ with 5000 pipes and 68 stops; built by Christian Müller in 1735 to 1738, this is one of the largest such instruments in existence. In front of the church stands a statue of Laurens Coster, to whom the Dutch ascribe the invention of printing. Though it has been altered considerably over the years, the town hall (Stadhuis) dates back to the 13th century, when it served as a hunting lodge for the counts of Holland. The painter Frans Hals, though born in Belgium, spent most of his life in Haarlem, where the Frans Hals Museum is located. The museum is the home of an important collection of 17th century Dutch paintings, including Hals' famous portraits of the Haarlem Civic Guard. Also in Haarlem are the Teylers Museum (1778), Holland's oldest museum, and the Hoofdwacht, on the site of the first town hall, which has a facade dating from the 1650s.
Haarlem took a prominent part in the revolt of the Netherlands against Spanish rule. In 1572 the city was besieged by a Spanish army, and after resisting for seven months, was forced to surrender. Four years later, William I, prince of Orange, delivered Haarlem from Spain and incorporated the city into the United Netherlands. The section in New York City known as Harlem was named after Haarlem by early Dutch settlers. Population (2000) 148,772.
