Artikelen

• De eerste protestantse tempels in de Nederlanden. Een onderzoek naar vorm en perceptie

  In the autumn of 1566, soon after the fierce iconoclasm troubles, the Protestant urban communities erected several temples in the Low Countries. After one year only, these temples were destroyed as a result of the order given by the regent Margaret of Parma. Archival sources and tangible material are very rare and have survived for only a few of these.

  Three temples in Antwerp had an elliptically shaped ground plan and had been constructed of wood on a stone basement. The temple at Gent, known from a description and a sketch by Van Vaernewijck, was octagonal in shape and made with wooden posts and bricks with a straw roof. Here, a ‘classically’ designed pulpit was placed in the center. Men and women were seated separately.

  Temples were also erected in Oudenaarde, Haarlem, Gorcum and Leiden. However, no additional information has been found in these cases. The choice of materials and finishing used in the temple construction suggests continuation of an age-old shed building practice.

  The preference for a centrally planned design is likely to have been prompted by a liturgical need to bring together as many people as possible within hearing distance of the preacher. However, one cannot exclude an influence of Renaissance treatises, such as the Flemish translation of the fifth book of Serlio published by Mayken Verhulst, the wife of Pieter Coecke van Aelst, at Antwerp in 1553.

  The appearances as well as the functional organisation of the temples are related to contemporary and later French examples such as 'Le Paradis' at Lyon (1563) or the temples of Dieppe (1600) and Caen (1611). Protestant communities had close connections with each other on an international level and concepts about temple building were undoubtedly widely held.

  Although an influence of the Temple of Salomon, traditionally presented as round shaped, is often suggested, contemporary descriptions do not confirm this view. Only in later texts this connection is made, possibly inspired by the early 17th-century Protestant building and legitimisation practice, where the topic of the Temple of Salomon is used very often.

  In the autumn of 1566, soon after the fierce iconoclasm troubles, the Protestant urban communities erected several temples in the Low Countries. After one year only, these temples were destroyed as a result of the order given by the regent Margaret of Parma. Archival sources and tangible material are very rare and have survived for only a few of these.

  Three temples in Antwerp had an elliptically shaped ground plan and had been constructed of wood on a stone basement. The temple at Gent, known from a description and a sketch by Van Vaernewijck, was octagonal in shape and made with wooden posts and bricks with a straw roof. Here, a ‘classically’ designed pulpit was placed in the center. Men and women were seated separately.

  Temples were also erected in Oudenaarde, Haarlem, Gorcum and Leiden. However, no additional information has been found in these cases. The choice of materials and finishing used in the temple construction suggests continuation of an age-old...

  In the autumn of 1566, soon after the fierce iconoclasm troubles, the Protestant urban communities erected several temples in the Low Countries. After one year only, these temples were destroyed as a result of the order given by the regent Margaret of Parma. Archival sources and tangible...

  Joris Snaet

  45-58

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• De Doopsgezinde kerk in Haarlem

  The classicist Baptist Church in Haarlem has almost completely escaped historiography of Dutch architecture, although its building history is very well documented. The first plans for the church date from 1672, after the joining together of two groups of Baptists. A plot between Grote Houtstraat, Peuzelaarsteeg, Frankestraat and Anegang was reserved as the building site.

  On December 26, 1674 the first design was completed, but for financial reasons the construction was postponed until 1682. Eventually it took place between May 1682 and March 1683. The building plans are illustrated with a series of thirteen design drawings. The earliest design, probably dating from 1674, shows a traditional, three-bay and axial clandestine church with galleries (ill. 2).

  The subsequent designs have a more modern, more centralizing character, in a 3 : 4 proportion (ill. 3, 4 and 5). This proportion corresponds to the proportions of the existing church, measured across the central lines of the walls. In three later designs, having a groundplan proportion of 4 : 5, this striving for centralization is worked out in greater detail (ill. 8, 9 and 10).

  The remaining five drawings concern the furnishing of the church and therefore probably date from the last phase of the design process (1681-1683): variations on pulpits, a plan for church pews with pulpit and baptismal garden, and a ground plan with four different positions of the pulpit (ill. l 1-15). The fact that one of the designs was signed by the Haarlem painter Jan de Bray (ill. 12) suggests the latter's involvement in the design and furnishing of the church building.

  An argument in favour of attributing the church to De Bray could be that since 1677 he is regularly mentioned as architect ('constmeester', 'constwerker', 'boumeester'). Moreover, the use of the Haarlem foot measure in the church building indicates a Haarlem architect. Finally, there is evidence that De Bray had contacts with a prominent Baptist citizen in Haarlem. Although there is no architectural work by him that we know of, so that comparison is not possible, the classicist De Bray is a serious candidate as the designer of the Baptist Church in Haarlem.

  The classicist Baptist Church in Haarlem has almost completely escaped historiography of Dutch architecture, although its building history is very well documented. The first plans for the church date from 1672, after the joining together of two groups of Baptists. A plot between Grote Houtstraat, Peuzelaarsteeg, Frankestraat and Anegang was reserved as the building site.

  On December 26, 1674 the first design was completed, but for financial reasons the construction was postponed until 1682. Eventually it took place between May 1682 and March 1683. The building plans are illustrated with a series of thirteen design drawings. The earliest design, probably dating from 1674, shows a traditional, three-bay and axial clandestine church with galleries (ill. 2).

  The subsequent designs have a more modern, more centralizing character, in a 3 : 4 proportion (ill. 3, 4 and 5). This proportion corresponds to the proportions of the existing church, measured across the...

  The classicist Baptist Church in Haarlem has almost completely escaped historiography of Dutch architecture, although its building history is very well documented. The first plans for the church date from 1672, after the joining together of two groups of Baptists. A plot between Grote...

  Paula C. van der Heiden

  59-74

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• De kapel van het voormalige St.-Elisabeths Gasthuis te Arnhem

  The imposing hospital chapel of the former St Elisabeths Gasthuis in Arnhem was built in two phases. The substructure in neorenaissance style was realized in 1897. The domed funeral parlour was situated there. It was not until 1904-1906 that the neogothic chapel was built. The difficult process of its construction was related to the high costs and financial problems due to which archiepiscopal consent was not forthcoming.

  The place of worship was built after the design of the Arnhem architect J.W. Boerbooms (1849-1899). Because of his premature death the object was completed by architect W.G. Welsing (1858-1942), also from Arnhem. He held on to his predecessor's drawings Looking at the design of the chapel it may be concluded that there are various similarities to specific medieval church buildings, notably the Skt. Elisabethkirche in Marburg.

  Both in Arnhem and in Marburg it concerns hall-churches with savories above the side aisles and double rows of windows on top of each other. In both cases there is a trefoil-plan choir. The situation of a funeral parlour underneath the Arnhem choir, in combination with the trefoil shape, appeals to the symbolical reference to the grave of Christ.

  Besides, there is a link with the funeral function of the church in Marburg, where the relics of St Elisabeth of Thoringen are to be found. It was this saint who was an inspiring example for the nuns attending to the Arnhem hospital. The aspects mentioned lead to the assumption that the Arnhem hospital chapel was built from the commissioner's need to give powerful expression to the significance of St Elisabeth.

  It is most likely that in preparing the design Boerbooms particularly looked at the Marburg church referred to, besides using other examples. Thus he created a place of worship that was more than just a simple hospital chapel and through which the spiritual background of the St Elisabeths Gasthuis could be given concrete expression.

  The imposing hospital chapel of the former St Elisabeths Gasthuis in Arnhem was built in two phases. The substructure in neorenaissance style was realized in 1897. The domed funeral parlour was situated there. It was not until 1904-1906 that the neogothic chapel was built. The difficult process of its construction was related to the high costs and financial problems due to which archiepiscopal consent was not forthcoming.

  The place of worship was built after the design of the Arnhem architect J.W. Boerbooms (1849-1899). Because of his premature death the object was completed by architect W.G. Welsing (1858-1942), also from Arnhem. He held on to his predecessor's drawings Looking at the design of the chapel it may be concluded that there are various similarities to specific medieval church buildings, notably the Skt. Elisabethkirche in Marburg.

  Both in Arnhem and in Marburg it concerns hall-churches with savories above the side aisles and double rows of windows on...

  The imposing hospital chapel of the former St Elisabeths Gasthuis in Arnhem was built in two phases. The substructure in neorenaissance style was realized in 1897. The domed funeral parlour was situated there. It was not until 1904-1906 that the neogothic chapel was built. The difficult...

  Joost van Hest

  75-85

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