| Nieuwe Kerk | |
|---|---|
 The Nieuwe Kerk as seen fromDam Square | |
 Nieuwe Kerk | |
| 52°22′26″N4°53′30″E / 52.3739°N 4.8917°E /52.3739; 4.8917 | |
| Location | Dam Square,Amsterdam |
| Country | The Netherlands |
| Denomination | Protestant Church in the Netherlands |
| Previous denomination | Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic,neo-Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | c. 1385 |
TheNieuwe Kerk (Dutch:[ˈniu.əˈkɛr(ə)k],lit. 'New Church')[1] is a 15th-centurychurch inAmsterdam located onDam Square, next to theRoyal Palace. Originally aCatholic church, it became aDutch Reformed Church church in 1578. It now belongs to theProtestant Church in the Netherlands.
The Nieuwe Kerk is no longer used for church services but is used as an exhibition space.[1] It is also used for organ recitals. There is a café in one of the buildings attached to the church that has an entrance to the church (during opening hours). There is a museum store inside the entrance that sells postcards, books, and gifts having to do with the church and its exhibitions.
The church is used for Dutch royalinvestiture ceremonies (as per Article 32 of theDutch Constitution) most recently that of KingWillem-Alexander in 2013, as well as royal weddings, most recentlythe wedding of Willem-Alexander toMáxima in 2002.[2] Theinvestitures of QueensWilhelmina,Juliana andBeatrix also took place there.[1]
After theOude Kerk ("Old Church") grew too small for the expanding population of the town, thebishop of Utrecht gave permission to build a second parish church, the Nieuwe Kerk ("New Church"). Construction began in 1380 and finished in 1408. This new church was consecrated in 1409[3] to St. Mary and St. Catherine, and the first masses were held in 1410.[4]
The church was damaged by the city fires of 1421 and 1452 and burned down almost entirely in 1645, after which it was rebuilt inGothic[1] style. In 1578 the building became aDutch Reformed church. It underwent major renovation in 1892–1914, which added manyneo-Gothic details, and was again renovated in 1959–80. The second renovation proved expensive for the Dutch Reformed Church, forcing the church to be closed most of the time in order to save money on maintenance. To keep the church open, ownership was transferred in 1979 to a newly formed cultural foundation called the Nationale Stichting De Nieuwe Kerk.
The Nieuwe Kerk is a burial site for Dutch naval heroes, including AdmiralMichiel de Ruyter,[1] CommodoreJan van Galen, and lieutenant commanderJan van Speyk. Despite beingCatholic, the poet and playwrightJoost van den Vondel is buried in the church.
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