The Handelingenkamer is a room in the Lower House of Parliament in The Hague that serves as a library, and where all the Bulletins/reports of sittings of the Senate and House of Representatives are located. Currently, the Binnenhof is undergoing long-term restoration and the library is completely empty.
Originally, it was the library of the Department of Justice, which was housed within the Binnenhof complex. The room is four storeys high with bookcases along all sides. A small cast-iron spiral staircase provides access from the bottom to the top. Furthermore, cast, cast-iron tiers were chosen for the light, through which light can fall. After all, the only light people had in the 19th century was daylight, as oil lamps were not allowed because of the fire hazard. Today, one has a large amount of fluorescent lighting to illuminate the room. The operations room has space for about 30,000 books.
At 15, I got a camera and was sold. For many decades, it was my constant companion on my travels in Europe, Asia and Africa and, after 50 years, has produced an extensive archive. Photos found their way through various stock agencies at home and.. Read more…