Nederland - Krommeniedijk, kerk

The Reformed church of Krommeniedijk was built on the remains of probably three other churches and was inaugurated in 1755. It is a single nave hall church in late Renaissance style. Apart from thirteen stained glass windows with representations from the New Testament, the village church houses a number of centuries-old objects, such as a pulpit from the last quarter of the 17th century, pews from the 18th century and three chandeliers of copper from the third quarter of the 17th century (I have to come back again, because during my visit the church was closed).

The tower of the church is owned by the municipality of Zaanstad. During the French occupation, at the beginning of the 19th century, many church properties were confiscated by the state. Most of those possessions were returned after that period, except for the church towers, which were used as a communication point.

The ringing bell in the tower was stolen in the World War II by accomplices of the occupying forces in order to be melted down into weapons. In 1951 a new cast bell was hung in the tower.

In 1968 the church of Krommeniedijk - which has no official name - became a national monument. Since 1989 the building has been managed by a foundation ( Stichting Beheer Hervormde Kerk in Krommeniedijk). In addition to church services, the building is also used for non religious activities, such as weddings, funeral services and exhibitions.