Nederland - Oldeberkoop, Bonifatiuskerk

The Bonifatiuskerk (Saint Boniface Church) is one of the oldest churches in southeast of the province of Friesland. The church building is the historical centre of the village. At its foundation the church was dedicated to Bonifatius. In a document from 1553 the church is referred to as the Parish Church of “H. Vitus te Antiqua Bercoop in Stellingwerff”. The construction of the oldest parts of the church was probably completed around the year 1125.

The old churchyard of the church is surrounded by a rustic ring wall, made of Frisian bricks. The ring wall probably dates from the beginning of the 17th century, the same period in which the tower was restored after earlier destruction. The wall was intended to separate the consecrated soil around the church from the unconsecrated ground outside.

Old prints show some entrance gates with stepped gables; probability there were four of them in total, one for each cardinal direction. The western (main image) gate was reconstructed in 2012.

After the reformation, the church was given a Protestant signature. The complex ofchurch, churchyard and ring wall is a national monument owned by the local protestant congregation.