Churches & synagogues
The Largest Museum of the Netherlands
Unlike in other countries, in the Netherlands churches are generally not open to visitors other than on Sunday mornings. Until 2016, one had to attend a service to see the building, then the book Kerkinterieurs in Nederland (i.e. Church Interiors in the Netherlands) was published, which unveiled one hundred extraordinary church interiors, and a year later, in 2017, thirteen churches & synagogues listed in the book, located all across the country, became part of the so-called Largest Museum of the Netherlands and opened their doors to the public on weekdays. Over the years, the number of participating venues increased to no less than twenty-seven, including nine that were not listed in the original book — either because they are not that special, or because they are mosques or temples, both being houses of worship outside the scope of the book.
In the north of the country, in the rural provinces of Friesland and Groningen, there are five village churches that are all worth a visit, in Kimswerd, Krewerd, Middelstum, Midwolde and Pieterburen. Although they are not as impressive as their contemporary urban counterparts, the medieval churches in Breda, Gouda, Maastricht, Roermond, Utrecht and Zutphen, and the 17th-century synagogue in Amsterdam, all together these twelve provide an outstanding selection of the best of what the Netherlands typically has to offer church-wise. In addition to these archetypes, the Largest Museum features six remarkable atypical churches, and because they are so unusual, I like them best: the Basilica of Sts Agatha & Barbara in Oudenbosch, the Basilica of St Nicholas in Amsterdam, Cenacle Church in Heilig Landstichting, St John the Baptist in Waalwijk, the synagogue in Enschede, and the Cathedral of St Bavo in Haarlem. Especially the last one, a neo-Romanesque basilica built between 1895 and 1930 according to a design by architect Joseph Cuypers, is of incredible splendour.
www.grootstemuseum.nlReader Comments
Josien
Not all churches from the Kerkinterieurs book that are open to the public are part of the Largest Museum. Four notable outsiders are St John in Den Bosch, probably the most beautiful Gothic church in the country, St Bavo in Haarlem, a medieval church featuring a magnificent organ (not to be confused with St Bavo Cathedral, which is a different church), the Old Church in Amsterdam, nowadays in use as an exhibition space for contemporary art, and St Benedictusberg in Lemiers, a modernist abbey church from the 1960s designed by architect Dom Hans van der Laan.
Bernard
After the restoration of the Dutch episcopacy, in 1853, the Netherlands saw a boom in church-building. One architect in particular left his mark on the newly built Catholic churches of this era: Pierre Cuypers, who is best known for designing the Rijksmuseum and the Central Station in Amsterdam and De Haar Castle in Haarzuilens. Working in the tradition of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, he was a strong advocate of Gothic Revival architecture. The Cuypershuis Museum in Roermond, a 10-minute walk from the Munster Church, which he renovated, introduces visitors to his life & work.
Louis
Definitely the most peculiar church in the Netherlands is the Basilica of Sts Agatha & Barbara in Oudenbosch, essentially a scaled-down copy of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, with a facade resembling the Basilica of St John Lateran. Built between 1865 and 1892 by Pierre Cuypers and elevated to a basilica minor in 1912, it towers 63 m over the village, which had just 3,500 inhabitants when construction started. The building is spectacular in every way, but its design is considered an anomaly in the work of Cuypers, who was not at all a fan of neoclassicism.