OUDE KERK
The city’s oldest monument and first parish church stands on the site of an early 13th-century wooden chapel that was destroyed by fire. Rebuilt as a small stone hall church in the 14th century, over the years it expanded into a mighty Gothic basilica, now in the heart of the Red Light District. The interior boasts some exquisite stained glass, rare ceiling paintings, and a world-famous organ and regularly hosts art exhibitions, performances, and debates. It is dedicated to St. Nicholas, patron saint of the city.
Oude Kerk
NEED TO KNOW
Oudekerksplein 23 • 020 625 8284 • www.oudekerk.nl • Open 10am–6pm Mon–Sat, 1–5:30pm Sun; closed Apr 27, Dec 25 • Adm $13.50; students $8; under 13 free (separate charge for exhibitions) • Guided tours by appointment; www.westertorenamsterdam.nl.
- For food and people watching, head for Nieuwmarkt; In de Waag (Nieuwmarkt 4) is recommended.
- Go to the Dutch Reformed Church service at 11am Sunday, or a concert or contemporary art exhibition.
- Don’t miss the votive ships hanging from the choir ceiling of Oude Kerk.
Church Floor Plan
1. Spire
From the graceful late-Gothic spire, built by Joost Bilhamer in 1565, there are splendid views over the Oude Zijde. The tower contains a 47-bell carillon, a 17th-century addition that rings out every Saturday afternoon.
2. Ceiling
The massive wooden vaulted ceiling is claimed to be the largest in Western Europe. It was only during restoration work in 1955 that the beautiful 15th-century paintings were revealed.
Ceiling
3. Stained Glass of the Burgemeesters
The colorful stained-glass windows flanking the chancel depict the arms of the city burgomasters from 1578 to 1807. One was designed by De Angeli in 1758, the other by Pieter Jansz in 1654.
Stained Glass of the Burgemeesters
4. Great Organ
With its eight pairs of bellows, magnificent oak-encased pipework, marbled wood statues, and gilded carving, the great organ is a glorious sight. Built by Christian Vater in 1724 and renovated by Johann Caspar Müller 14 years later, it is known as the Vater-Müller organ.
5. Red Door into the Old Sacristy
Rembrandt famously passed through this door to announce his marriage. “Marry in haste, repent at leisure” is inscribed above it.
6. Little Organ
Attractively painted shutters form the original casing built in 1658—however, the pipework was replaced in 1965. It is tuned as it would have been before 1700, so early Baroque music can now be part of the organist’s repertoire.
7. Maria Kapel
The most stunning stained glass is in the three windows of the Lady Chapel. All date from the 16th century; two show scenes from the Virgin’s life, above the customary picture of the family who donated the window.
8. Saskia’s Grave
Among the great and the good buried here is Saskia van Uylenburgh, Rembrandt’s first wife, who died in 1642. Her grave is number 29K in the Weitkopers Kapel.
9. Decorated Pillars
Pre-1578 relics, these pillars once supported niches for statues of the Apostles destroyed in the Iconoclasm and were painted to look like brocade, since the real thing was unsuited to the church’s humidity.
Decorated Pillars
10. Misericords
The 15th-century misericords helped choir members take the weight off their feet. Their charming carvings illustrate traditional Dutch proverbs.
THE ICONOCLASM OF 1566
In the 1566 Iconoclasm, or Beeldenstorm—precursor to the Alteration of 1578 when the city became Protestant—the Calvinists looted Catholic churches and destroyed their treasures, among them the Oude Kerk’s pictures, altars, and statues. Only the ceiling paintings and stained glass were spared, as they were out of reach. The Calvinists also disapproved of the beggars and peddlers who gathered in the church and threw them out, ending its role as a city meeting place.
