In the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic there was a group of figures in the arts and sciences known as the Muiderkring that regularly met at the castle of Muiden near Amsterdam . The central figure was the poet Hooft. In later times (the 19th century) its importance has been much exaggerated, and people like Constantijn Huygens, Sweelinck, Vondel and Bredero were considered part of the group.
