Leiden almshouses.... Meermansburg The Meermansburg is the only group of almshouses in Leiden which carries the title of "court" on account of its size. In the Middle Ages a Cloister called Nazareth was situated here, which was replaced in 1596 by a complex of 63 small back-to-back labourers' houses. In 1680 Maerten Meerman pulled down the by now dilapidated houses in order to build almshouses. The Court was rebuilt in 1778-1780 and a magnificent stucco ceiling was added to the Governor's Room. This room is now the site of the Pipe Gallery. In the middle of the inner yard you will see the water pump, crowned with a citadel and a merman, which is a reference to the founders.
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