Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk (Rotterdam)

Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk

Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk in 2007
Basic information
Location Rotterdam, Netherlands
Geographic coordinates 51°55′17″N 4°29′6″E / 51.92139°N 4.48500°E / 51.92139; 4.48500Coordinates: 51°55′17″N 4°29′6″E / 51.92139°N 4.48500°E / 51.92139; 4.48500
Rite Christian Protestant
District Centrum
Website http://www.laurenskerkrotterdam.nl
The church and its surroundings in c. 1943–1945

Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣroːtə ɔf sɪnt ˈlʌurənsˌkɛrk]; English: Great, or St. Lawrence Church) is a Protestant church in Rotterdam. It is the only remnant of the medieval city of Rotterdam.

History

The church was built between 1449 and 1525. In 1621 a wooden spire was added to the tower, designed by Hendrick de Keyser. Poor quality of its wood caused the spire to be demolished in 1645. A stone cube was added to the tower, which proved too heavy for the foundation in 1650. New piles were driven under the tower and in 1655 the tower stood straight again.

This basilica was the first all stone building in Rotterdam. Many important events took place here. The last priest of the Laurenkerk was Hubertus Duifhuis. The Reformation took place in 1572 and the Laurenskerk became a Protestant church. Ministers of the church include Laurens Johannes Jacobus van Oosterzee, Abraham Hellenbroek, Jan Scharp and J.R. Callenbach, who wrote a book about the history of the church a few years before the Rotterdam Blitz. The church is still used for worship of the Protestant Church.

In the Rotterdam Blitz on May 14, 1940 the Laurenskerk was heavily damaged. At first there were calls to demolish the church, but that was stopped by the Germans. The provisional National Monuments Commission had both supporters and opponents of restoration. In particular, committee member and architect J.J.P. Oud opposed rebuilding in 1950 and presented an alternative plan which would preserve only the tower. Next to the memorial a new, smaller church would be built. This alternative plan was rejected, particularly because restoration of the Laurenskerk was viewed as a symbol of the resilience of Rotterdam's community. In 1952, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands laid the foundation stone for the restoration, which was completed in 1968.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rotterdam, St. Laurens.
Dutch Rijksmonument 32782
Dutch Rijksmonument 32783
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