Nederland: kerken en kloosters

The Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk (Great or St. Lawrence Church) is the largest medieval church building in the city centre of Alkmaar. It was already called Grote Kerk during its construction because of its size. The church is traditionally the largest and tallest church building in Alkmaar and has always been praised as the city's jewel. Originally, the building was dedicated to Saint Lawrence. The Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk , dates back to the 10th century. Originally there was a smaller wooden church, which was destroyed by fire in the 11th century. The same happened with a next church. At the end of the 15th century it was decided to build a larger church. The church building was designed by architect Anthonius Kelderman (Mechelen, Belgium) in the style of the Brabant Gothic. The construction took place between 1470 and 1511. Originally it was a Catholic church, but after the Reformation in 1573 it became the centre of Protestant worship. Alkmaar's Grote Kerk is renowned for its organs. The most famous is the little choir organ from 1511. The larger organ is one of the most famous, significant and beautiful organs in the world. It was built by Jacobus Caltus van Hagerbeer, finished in 1645 (PiP4). Another highlight of the interior is the triptych by Pauline Bakker (PiP5). This was made in 2004 for the 750th anniversary of Alkmaar, with scenes from its history. Form and size are derived from the famous triptych (1542) by Maerten van Heemskerk, which was sold to Sweden in 1581. Since 1996 the building has no religious function any longer. Currently the church is owned by a foundation ( Stichting tot Behoud van Monumentale Kerken in Alkmaar ). The building is a museum (free of charge) with attention to the history of the church and is also used for weddings, concerts and other cultural activities.

The spire, called Westertoren, of the Westerkerk (Western Church) on the bank of the Prinsengracht is the highest church tower in Amsterdam with its 85 meters. The church, designed by the famous Dutch architect Hendrick de Keyser, was built between 1620 and 1631 in the Dutch Renaissance style. Older churches in Amsterdam were originally built by Roman Catholics and were converted to Protestantism during the Reformation in 1578. The Westerkerk was one of the first purposely built Protestant churches. Today the Westerkerk is the largest church in the Netherlands that was built for Protestants. Rembrandt van Rijn is buried in the Westerkerk, as are several other famous Dutch artists. Anne Frank was soothed by the chimes of the church’s clock tower while in hiding and mentioned it several times in her famous diary. Former Queen Beatrix was also married there back in 1966.

The beguines had as early as 1397 their own little chapel in the Begijnhof. After the enlargement of the beguinage a new larger chapel was consecrated. The beguines themselves paid for the restoration of their church after it was damaged during fires in 1421 and 1452. After the ‘Alteration’ (transition of the municipality to the Protestant church) of 1578 their Gothic church was confiscated for Protestant use. The English Reformed Church of Amsterdam still has its services at this location. The Beguines went without a church for a century, worshipping in their homes in the Begijnhof. In 1671 began construction of their own Catholic chapel in two of their houses, which was authorized by the Protestant authorities, but its exterior had to be hidden from public view. So it became a ‘hidden church’. It opened for its first service in 1682. The interior of the Begijnhofkapel still offers fine marble columns, wooden pews, stained-glass windows and paintings telling the story of the ‘Miracle of Amsterdam’, referring to a eucharistic miracle in 1345, which happened in the Kalverstraat, not far from the Begijnhof. See for more info and pictures of the Begijnhof: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/41236800

Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic) is a museum housed in a17th-century canal house in the heart of the oldest part of Amsterdam and bordering the infamous red light district. The residential canal house along the Oudezijds Voorburgwal - one of the many canlas in Amsterdam - was built in 1630. A wealthy catholic merchant from Germany - Jan Hartman - bought this house on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal and the two adjecent buildings on the Heintje Hoekssteeg . He lived there with his family during the period when public Catholic celebrations were officially forbidden in the Netherlands. The Protestants had taken over power in the city in 1578. Roman Catholics couldn’t visit longer official churches for mass; from then on they were destined for Protestant worship. Jan Hartman decided to built a so called schuilkerk (clandestine church) - one of the many in that period in Amsterdam. Between 1661 and 1663 the top three floors of his houses were changed into a house church, originally named ’t Hart . Entrance to the church was gained through a fake door hidden in the living room. This led onto a tiny spiral staircase that would take the faithful Papists into the top reaches of the attic. The schuilkerk served for more than two centuries, until it was replaced by the Sint-Nicolaaskerk , opposite the Central Station in Amsterdam. In 1888 it was converted into a museum, making it the second oldest museum in the city. Unlike the rest of the house, which was as far as possible restored to its original 17th-century condition, the church itself has been restored to its appearance in the year 1862. Next to the clandestine church, the museum consists of several rooms of the former canal house.

'Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming' (Our Lady of the Assumption), commonly called Mariakerk with its stunning interior of brick ceilings, wall paintings, Stations of the Cross, altars and stained-glass windows.

Assel is a small hamlet with just more than ten houses. It also has a natural cemetery with a little chapel: Heilige Geest Kapel (Holy Ghost Chapel). This chapel was built in 1940 for the Catholics of Radio Kootwijk, because there was no church for them in the vicinity. The inhabitants raised money themselves and thus the church could be built on a piece of land that was donated. The rectangular brick chapel was built after a design by architect Jan van Dongen Jr., who was also the master builder of two other catholic churches in Apeldoorn. The chapel is part of the Westerwolde estate, which was founded by the Amsterdam lawyer W.J.M. Westerwoudt. The chapel is surrounded by hundreds of graves of the first natural cemetery of the Netherlands. Since 1955 the cemetery is open for not-relatives of the owners. The walled family cemetery (PiP 2) - on the tower side of the chapel - is separate from the natural cemetery. Five members of the Westerwoudt family are buried there. Nowadays every Sunday the Heilige Geest Kapel is till used for services for believers from the area and for people who have buried their families and acquaintances here. The chapel is also rented out for funeral services, weddings and even concerts.

The Ruïnekerk (Ruin Church) is dating back to the second quarter of the 15th century and was built on the site of a smaller pilgrimage chapel, which was built after the so called ’Miracle of Bergen’ in 1422. At time of the construction the church was the largest in the province of North-Holland. Originally it was a Gothic church, dedicated to Peter and Paul. In 1574, during the Eighty Years War against Spain, the church was looted and burned down by Dutch protestants troops ‘De Geuzen’. The tower was lost completely, but the rulers of Bergen prevented the eventual destruction of the other remains, parts of the outer walls of the nave and the walls of the choir with its flanking chapels. The choir was rebuilt in 1594-1597 to serve as a reformed church. Nowadays the church is still used for religious services and other cultural events. The Ruïnekerk is the landmark of the village of Bergen, located right in the heart of the town.

The Ruïnekerk (Ruined Church) is dating back to the second quarter of the 15th century and was built on the site of a smaller pilgrimage chapel, which was built after the so called ’Miracle of Bergen’ in 1422. At time of the construction the church was the largest in the province of North-Holland. Originally it was a Gothic church, dedicated to Peter and Paul. In 1574, during the Eighty Years’ War against Spain, the church was looted and burned down by Dutch Protestants troops De Geuzen . The tower was lost completely, but the rulers of Bergen prevented the eventual destruction of the other remains, parts of the outer walls of the nave and the walls of the choir with its flanking chapels. The choir was rebuilt in 1594-1597 to serve as a Protestant church. Between 1955 and 1961 the church was restored and became a new wooden porch. The date 1958 is inscribed on the church facade to commemorate the restoration. In 1970, a 26-bell carillon was installed. Nowadays the church is still used for weekly services, but also for weddings, funerals and other cultural events. The Ruïnekerk - a national monument - is the landmark of Bergen, located right in the heart of the village.

The Ruïnekerk (Ruined Church) is dating back to the second quarter of the 15th century and was built on the site of a smaller pilgrimage chapel, which was built after the so called ’Miracle of Bergen’ in 1422. At time of the construction the church was the largest in the province of North-Holland. Originally it was a Gothic church, dedicated to Peter and Paul. In 1574, during the Eighty Years’ War against Spain, the church was looted and burned down by Dutch Protestants troops De Geuzen . The tower was lost completely, but the rulers of Bergen prevented the eventual destruction of the other remains, parts of the outer walls of the nave and the walls of the choir with its flanking chapels. The choir was rebuilt in 1594-1597 to serve as a Protestant church. Between 1955 and 1961 the church was restored and became a new wooden porch. The date 1958 is inscribed on the church facade to commemorate the restoration. In 1970, a 26-bell carillon was installed. Nowadays the church is still used for weekly services, but also for weddings, funerals and other cultural events. The Ruïnekerk - a national monument - is the landmark of Bergen, located right in the heart of the village.

The construction of the Grote Kerk or Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) started in 1410 and was completed around 1540. The church - covered with natural stone - is built in the Brabantine Gothic style. This is reflected in the gables, high windows and a large number of flying buttresses, as well as many details and decorations. The tower has a height of 97 metres and is one of the finest and richly decorated church towers in the Netherlands. Work on the tower started in 1468 and was finished 38 years later. In the past the church was far more furnished than today. Much was destroyed during the Iconoclastic Fury in 1566 and the occupation of the church by the Protestants. During the Eighty Years' War (1568 - 1648) the church changed various times between protestant and catholic use, to become finally protestant in 1637. The most important chapel in the church is the Prinsenkapel (PiP 2). This Prince Chapel is the old mausoleum of the House of Orange-Nassau. The chapel was built from 1520 until 1525 on orders of the Lord of Breda, Hendrik III van Nassau-Breda . Seventeen family members are buried in the chapel. The church building is free to visit and is nowadays mainly used for concerts, courses, symposia, fairs, fashion shows, school excursions and exhibitions. Nowadays there are about ten church services a year and also regular baptisms, weddings, memorial services and funerals. But the huge building is mainly used for concerts, courses, symposia, fairs, fashion shows, school excursions and exhibitions.

The Sint Catharijnekerk (also called Grote Kerk) was intended to become the largest church in the Holland region, but was never completed. The construction began in 1417, but in 1456 there was a major fire and twenty five years later they ran out of money and the construction of the church stopped; only the nave and tower were completed. Originally it was a roman catholic church, but in the year of 1572 the parish became in Protestant hands. Despite its use by the protestants, the church is often called by its catholic name Sint Catherijnekerk (St. Catharine Church). The Sint Catharijnekerk has quite a relationship with the House of Orange-Nassau. In the year of 1575 Willem van Oranje (William of Orange) married with Charlotte de Bourbon. And in 1688 Mary Stuart waved her husband Stadtholder William III goodbye from the tower, when he left for England to be crowned. Brielle still can be recognized from far away by the 57 meter high, truncated tower of the Sint-Catharijnekerk. In the older days - when Brielle was a major seaport - the tower also was used as a lighthouse.

Bronkhorst - one of the smallest cities in the Netherlands - has a very old church, popularly called Bronkhorsterkapel . The chapel is mentioned for the first time in a document in the year of 1344. The chapel was founded by "Gijsbrecht V van Bronckhorst" and his wife. The document even mentioned a "newly founded chapel", which shows that the chapel seems to have had a predecessor. The pastor of nearby Steenderen gave permission in 1360 to build a larger chapel on condition that the rights of the parish church would be maintained. In 1633 a town fire raged in Bronkhorst, which also damaged the chapel. In the 18th century, the church fell into disrepair. Religious services were no longer held and it was even used as a warehouse for a while. In 1843, the building was converted into a school. In 1954, the Reverend "A.M. Nortier" pleaded for the chapel to be used for religious services again and funds were made available for its restoration. This restoration was carried out in 1960 and the following years, based on an old drawing from 1742. The Bronkhorsterkapel - a brick hall church in Gothic style - is a monument of great cultural and historical significance in the Netherlands and was designated a national monument in 1966. In 2011, the chapel was transferred to the Stichting Oude Gelderse Kerken (a foundation dedicated to the preservation of old monumental churches in the province of Gelderland). The chapel is no longer used for regular church services, but serves as a unique wedding location. In addition, exhibitions and small-scale music performances take place.

The Sint-Martinuskerk is a Neo-Gothic cross basilica with two towers. The church was designed by architect Caspar Franssen and built in the period 1911-1913. The paintings in the interior were designed by Hans Mengelberg and executed by Johannes Cornelis Wilbrink. The retable of the beautiful Flemish high altar - Retabel van Cuijk - was made by Hendrik van der Geld for a church in Duisburg, but eventually ended up in Cuijk. The side altars and piëta are also by Van der Geld. The church has an organ dating back to the mid 17th century. In 1945, the church was heavily damaged by acts of war committed by the retreating German army on the other side of the river Maas. The damage could be repaired (interior and exterior). In 2009, a major restoration of the church began and was completed in 2011.

Not the most impressive, beautiful or oldest church, but most probably one of the most remarkable churches in the Netherlands is Kerkje Harkema . Around 1960, livestock farmer Albert Harkema became the owner of a monastery farm and the surrounding farmlands. Harkema soon started with digging and expanding of the old moat around the farm and in miniature he imitated the head-neck-torso farm as a shelter for the ducks. Later on he constructed the tower, followed by the construction of a miniature version of the former hospice of the nearby Abbey of Aduard. He used 12.000 bricks from Belgium, the organ from the Dutch village of IJhorst and Maria-statues of from more southern places. Forty years later his long cherished wish - building his own church - became reality. A hidden gem in the middle of nowhere, surrounded from all sides by more than 2.000 years old landscape. Next to the church is a teahouse, also built by Harkema.

The history of the ‘Sint-Nicolaaskerk (Church of Saint Nicholas) is dating back to the year of 1276, when Denekamp was mentioned as a parish for the first time. The church is one of the few religious buildings erected in the region of Twente in the 13th century that is still largely preserved. The medieval part of the present church consists of a single-bay. As far as this region of the Netherlands is concerned it is the oldest preserved single-bay church, though no longer completely intact. The medieval parts were built of sandstone from nearby Bentheim. The tower was built against the church in the second half of the 15th century (or early 16th century). Later there were many more enlargements, the last one started in 1910 with the construction of a new transept and choir and apse, which were built with bricks. Architect ‘Te Riele’ also gave the tower - which had been fully closed - an entrance in a pseudo-Romanesque style. After the reformation the church was used by the protestant minority for about two centuries. In 1809 King ‘Lodewijk Napoleon’ gave back the church to the Catholics. The church is still used for services. (Main picture: the modern brick part of the church; PiP the 15/16th century tower and medieval single bay)

The Brink is the traditional centre of the villages in the province of Drenthe. In Diever this green square offers the Sint-Pancratiuskerk , dedicated to St. Pancratius. Originally this Romanesque church was built in the 12th century. In the 14th and 15th centuries the church gradually got its gothic form. As far as medieval churches in the province of Drenthe are concerned, the reformed church of Diever is very unusual. While in Drenthe one-aisled churches are the rule, this one has three-aisles, evidence that Diever was an important place in this region. In 1759 lightning struck the tower and the vaults of the nave and southern side-aisle collapsed. After that disaster the church was largely renewed. Between 1955 and 1959 the church, which had been in a very bad state for some time, was restored and the situation that had existed before 1759 was reconstructed. The Sint-Pancratiuskerk is considered being one of the most beautiful in Drenthe, this is also due to the authentic interior and the beautiful vaults in the church.

The Grote Kerk (Big Church) or Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe-Kerk (Our Dear Lady Church) was built between 1285 and 1470 in Brabantine Gothic style. This Protestant church is the largest and the second oldest church in the city. The dome-vault of the Big Church is the only one in the Netherlands fully made of stone. The impressive interior is well known for its choir stalls, chapels, pulpit and several other monuments. The tower of the church has a height of 65 meters and is never finished. Dordrecht's position in between rivers made the ground very wet and spongy and unable to support such a heavy structure. The tower started leaning over two meters, which is still visible. The tower is topped with four pointer clocks and a carillon with 67 bells, with its 52.000 kilos it is one of the largest in Europe.

The Dutch Reformed Church Sint Nicolaaskerk is located in the centre of the village of Dwingeloo. The brick, gothic, hall church was built around the year of 1410 on the site of an older church from the 12th century with a free standing tower. The church is very similar to other Gothic village churches in the province of Drenthe, consisting of a one-aisled nave with a narrower choir and a tower decorated with niches. The Sint Nicolaaskerk has a remarkable onion-shaped tower, which gives the church its nickname De Siepel (meaning ‘onion’ in the local dialect). After a huge fire in 1923 the original spire was replaced by a slightly less tender copy. It is still the beacon of Dwingeloo and is visible from a great distance.