| Type | Regionaldaily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner | Mediahuis |
| Publisher | HDC Media |
| Founded |
|
| Language | Dutch |
| Headquarters | Haarlem |
| Website | haarlemsdagblad |
TheHaarlems Dagblad is a regional newspaper inHaarlem, Netherlands. It claims to be the oldest newspaper in the world still in printed circulation, although it was forced to merge with another Haarlem-based newspaper during theGerman occupation of the Netherlands.
This earlier publication was published by Abraham Casteleyn and his wifeMargaretha van Bancken, beginning in 1656 under the titleWeeckelycke Courante van Europa ("Weekly Newspaper of Europe"). In 1664, when the authorities took steps to protect the weekly from its imitators, it became known asDe Oprechte Haerlemse Courant (spellings vary; "oprecht" is here used in its archaic sense of "genuine"). After her husband's death in 1681, Margaretha received permission to carry on the activities of the firm.[1]
The weekly (which soon began appearing twice and subsequently three times a week, and in the nineteenth century became a monthly) thus preceded English regular newspapers. In the paper's early days, theWindsorcoffee house used to advertise that, apart from offering "the best chocolate", it supplied translations of "theHarlem Courant soon after the post is come in".
During the German occupation of the Netherlands in the Second World War, theOpregte Haarlemsche Courant was forced to merge withHaarlems Dagblad; hence the latter paper's claim to being the oldest title extant. The merged newspaper is owned byMediahuis, a Belgian newspaper conglomerate.
