Village church
Heemskerk, NL
This church was first mentioned in 1063. It is unknown what it looked like. Over the centuries, a church was built of tuff, a grey volcanic stone from the Eifel, on the site of the current one. The tower was built in the 13th century from the so-called monastery bricks, these are large baked bricks that were used to build monasteries. The tower, built in Gothic style, probably originated in the first half of the fifteenth century. This can be deduced from the year 1464 on the bell. Just like the church, the bell was dedicated to Saint Laurentius. The bell had a social warning function. In the event of a storm, fire or other danger, the population was called to help or warned by ringing the bell. During the siege of Alkmaar in 1573, the Spanish demolished everything that was flammable from the church. Only the tower remained intact. In the meantime, the Reformation had taken place. After the departure of the Spanish soldiers, the reconstruction by the Protestants began. It became a hall church without a choir in Gothic style. The church was rebuilt in 1628. A year later the church was completely finished. Since 1798 the tower has been municipal property. In 1970-1971 the tower and the church were restored