Zuiderkerk in Amsterdam
A church in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Nieuwmarkt area. It was the first church built specifically for Protestant services in Amsterdam.
Basic information
Name translation: Southern church
Built: 17th century - 1603-1611
Religion: Protestantism
Architect: Hendrick de Keyser
Sermons: Does not serve as a place of worship anymore.
Construction
The Zuiderkerk was designed by the Amsterdam city Architect Hendrick de Keyser. The construction took from 1603 to 1611, during which the construction was halted for three years because of lack of funds. Even after successful completion of the main building, it was without a tower and an organ. The tower was completed later in 1614. And an organ was added much later in 1823. The designer of Zuiderkerk died 10 years after its completion and is buried in its premises.
Churchyard
The churchyard and its gated entrances were finished by the same year as the tower. One of the gates, also designed by the architect Hendrick de Keyser is still preserved and can be seen on photos on this page.
Rembrandt
Three children of the famous Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn were buried in Zuiderkerk and his son Titus was baptized here. Rembrandts house location was near on Jodenbreestraat.
Monet
The famous painter Claude Monet painted a painting depicting the Zuiderkerk around the year 1874. The painting is now exhibited in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Other uses of the Church building
1929 was the year when Zuiderkerk ended its regular services as a religious place of worship and since then it changed multiple functions. Notably it served as a mortuary during the second world war. In 1968 it was bought by the city, restored, and since then served for municipality agencies and museums. Nowadays it is also used as event location and it is possible to rent it's rooms for private or business events.
Zuiderkerk on the map
Photos (all images have been cropped):
Wikimedia Commons authors (http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en/):
1-Parsifall
2-Danes-Mava
3-Rijksdienst-voor-het-Cultureel-Erfgoed
4-Rijksdienst-voor-het-Cultureel-Erfgoed
5-Mark-de-Nijs
6-Claude-Monet