Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk (Rotterdam)
Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk | |
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51°55′17″N 4°29′6″E / 51.92139°N 4.48500°E | |
Location | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
Denomination | Protestant Church in the Netherlands |
Tradition | Christian Protestant |
Website | www |
Specifications | |
Bells | 49 |
Administration | |
District | Centrum |
Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣroːtə ʔɔf sɪnt ˈlʌurənskɛr(ə)k]; 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
In the Rotterdam Blitz on May 14, 1940, the Laurenskerk was heavily damaged, with only the tower and walls surviving.
In 1971 the Laurenspastoraat community was established (as part of the Reformed Church of Rotterdam) in order to resume church services. The community received a Cross of Nails replica from Coventry Cathedral in order to become a local center for peace and reconciliation. In 1981 the liberal Maaskant/Open Grenzen community joined the church and since then the two communities alternate their services.
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The church and its surroundings in c. 1621–1645
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Map with Sint Laurenskerk in c. 1690
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Rotterdam's city centre and the church after the bombing in 1940
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The church and its surroundings in c. 1943–1945
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The church and its surroundings in 2016
References
- ^ Helen Hill Miller (October 1960). "Rotterdam - Reborn from Ruins". National Geographic. 118 (4): 526–553.
External links
- Official website (in Dutch)
- Kerken in de Laurens, organization in charge of services at the church (in Dutch)