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Drempt (G): reformed church or St. Joriskerk

Drempt, or Voor-Drempt, is a very old village, dating back to a Germanic settlement from the 2nd or 3rd century. According to a legend a wooden chapel or church was founded in the year 731 by emperor Charlemagne. The first mention of a more permanent church is from 1067.

The oldest part of the current church is the tower, a building in Romanesque style built of tuff. In the 15th century the Romanesque choir was replaced by a bigger one in Gothic style, using bricks. In the early 16th century the nave was rebuilt into a three-aisled pseudo-basilica in late-Gothic style. In 1868 it was transformed by architect G.F. Moele Bergveld into a hall-church in early neo-Gothic style, with higher side-aisles, plastered walls and pinnacles without any function other than decoration.

In 1938 the restoration of the tower began, during which in 1939 underneath the plaster of the nave parts of the tuff Romanesque nave were found. In 1941 plans were made by restoration architect E.A. Canneman to restore the church to its Gothic state, but probably due to the war nothing came from this. But in 1945 the church was badly damaged and in 1949 a restoration finally began, with the choir being restored between 1949 and 1951 while the nave followed in 1955. Although architect B.T. Boeyinga was in charge of the restoration, the resulting church is very similar to Canneman's plans.

In 2012 the reformed community sold the church to a specialized heritage foundation, although continuining to use the building for regular services.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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