Leeuwarden is the capital of Fryslân, a Dutch province with its own Frisian language and culture, and cradle of all ruling European royalty. The main focus of Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden is preserving the municipal archives of Leeuwarden, which date back as far as the Middle Ages. Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden also houses the largest image collection of the northern Netherlands, an extensive library with books and multimedia and a municipal art collection. It is also custodian of Archaeological Centre Leeuwarden, and of the nearby leaning tower of Oldehove and Pier Pander Museum.