Amsterdam
(NH): Oude kerk
The Oude Kerk (Old Church)
is Amsterdam's oldest building, with its oldest parts dating from the
13th century. Until the protestant took over power, the church was
consecrated to St. Nicholas of Myra, patron of sailors and traders and
patron saint of Amsterdam. The church had had several predecessors
before it was constructed. A wooden chapel was replaced by a stone hall
church during the second half of the 13th century. Since the church had
to be build on piles which were driven into the muddy soil, the
construction was made as light as possible. Therefore it has wooden
barrel vaults and tall pointed windows, and covers a large area
compared to its height. The current church however is also the result
of numerous changes that were made to the building later. It was
widened as well as heightened, but plans to heighten the transepts as
well were never executed. Until this very day the transepts still carry
their provisional roofs.
The tower received a new spire was in 1565, in a mixed
Gothic-Renaissance style by Joost Jansz Bilhamer. A new layer of stone
in Renaissance style was added to the tower in 1740 to prevent it from
leaning. The
church survived two great fires (in 1421 and 1452 respectively) but was
severely damaged by the iconoclasm of 1566, when fanatical protestant
vandals destroyed much of the interior. When Amsterdam in 1578
officially became a protestant city, the church was confiscated and
adapted to the protestant needs. From 1584 until 1611 the building also
served as a commodity exchange. The position of the church declined
altogether after the new town hall at the Dam had been finished, and
the Nieuwe Kerk became the city's main church.
|