OUDE KERK

Description

Essentials about the Oude Kerk in brief

The Oude Kerk (Old Church) is the oldest preserved building in Amsterdam and worth a visit not only for churchgoers due to its extraordinary architecture and its many tombs. The church is located in the red light district De Wallen – this is no contradiction, we are in Amsterdam after all. In addition to church services, the Oude Kerk also hosts many exhibitions and concerts.

The history of the Oude Kerk

At the site of the Oude Kerk there was a small wooden chapel with a cemetery in the 13th century. This was replaced by a stone church consecrated in 1306. After 1300, a three-nave hall church was built, which was probably the first hall church in the Netherlands. Around 1330 the church received a new choir, and between 1330 and 1350 wider aisles were added.

In later times, the church was enlarged to the east and a five-sided choir ambulatory was built. From 1380 to 1412, the addition of St. George’s Chapel took place to the north, and from 1450 to 1460, the addition of St. Sebastian’s Chapel took place to the south. In the 16th century the nave was raised and the tower was enlarged. In 1566 the medieval furnishings fell victim to iconoclasm, and after 1578 the church was redesigned for Protestant worship.

The tombstones of the Oude Kerk

The Oude Kerk is also an important burial place. The entire floor of the church consists of gravestones. The background for this is that the church was built on a cemetery whose use lasted until the middle of the 19th century. In the church are therefore about 2,500 graves, in which about 10,000 Amsterdam citizens, including many celebrities, are buried.

The roof of the Oude Kerk

Also worth seeing is the roof of the Oude Kerk. It is in fact the largest medieval wooden vault in Europe. The wooden planks, which come from Estonia, date from the end of the 14th century and give the church one of the best acoustics in all of Europe.