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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

Village church

Sellingen, NL

Historic village church with tower from 1858. Excavations during a restoration showed that there was already a wooden predecessor to this current church. The earliest mention of a church in Sellingen dates from 1150 in a list of churches of the Corvey Abbey in the Osnabrück diocese. During the aforementioned restoration, the National Institute for Archaeological Heritage Research uncovered about 20 old graves, two of which date from around 1100. There are probably more graves present, but due to lack of money, not the entire church floor was excavated at the time. A gravestone can still be found in the churchyard. (Source [1]

Village church

Durgerdam, NL

Small village church with tower. The Dorpskerk Durgerdam, originally the Hervormde kerk van Durgerdam, is the Protestant church in Durgerdam in Amsterdam-Noord. The church building is not along the Durgerdammerdijk, but a little lower behind it.

Village church

Leiderdorp, NL

The predecessor of this church was the St. Michael or St. Pancratius Church, which was built around 1200. In 1470, the English king Edward IV was locked up in the dungeon of the old church for a night. During the siege of Leiden in 1573-1574, the church was destroyed by the Spanish. In 1620, the current church was built on the same spot. The original building was rectangular with a high window in the west and east facades. That high window is now only visible in the east facade, because an organ was built in 1781. A portal was built and the bellows of the organ were placed in the attic. In 1846, a tower was built on the entrance portal and the roof turret was demolished. In 1965 this tower was demolished again, and the roof turret was rebuilt, during the major restoration that was carried out in the years 1965-1970. In the interior two pews against the facades stand out, both from the year 1687: the government pew against the north facade and the canopy pew against the east facade. During the restoration, the original pulpit was replaced by a pulpit with baptismal fence from the 17th century, originating from the church of Opmeer in North Holland. The lighting in the church has consisted successively of candlelight, kerosene lamps, gas lamps and electric lamps. In the church floor you will find gravestones from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The cemetery behind the church is no longer in use as such. Next to the church is a large building, the Trefpunt. This building served as a parsonage until 1946. It is now a building in which church and social activities take place.

Village church

Leusden, NL

Dutch Reformed Church, 1828; hard stone entrance, pointed arch windows, bell tower on the roof. Single manual organ, made in 1871 by H. Knipscheer. Mechanical tower clock on oak chair, 1870, Firma Haak, Gebr. Caminada and Dupont in Rotterdam, has been decommissioned.

Village church

Sleen, NL

In 1846, Vollebregt built an organ for the Kruisherenkapel in Sint Agatha. It had one keyboard and attached pedal. In 1871, Leonardus van Nistelrooij transferred it to the Kruisherenkapel in Uden. Van Nistelrooij probably expanded the organ with a positive. There are no indications that this happened in Sint Agatha, and in 1878 Kuijte noted the disposition with a positive. Around 1900, it was thoroughly restored. In September 1905, the organ was sold to Van Ingen. He placed it in the Reformed Church in Driebergen. After a restoration by Dekker in 1918, the organ remained unchanged until 1949. In that year, it was moved to Sleen by Hoogenboezem. In 1967, new wings, two pots and a harp were placed on the case, originating from the demolished organ from the Reformed Church of Dwingeloo. In 1968 W. Eppinga carried out work. He installed a new Mixture and a new Cymbel. In 1980 the wind chests were sealed and the mechanism was restored by Mense Ruiter. He later carried out another restoration, during which the pipework was restored. The starting point was the situation in 1871. On the main work the Gamba 8' was replaced by a Cornet III strong, and the Trumpet 8' that had never been installed was placed. The positive was also restored: the Sifflet 2' was replaced in the place where an Octave 2' stood, and the side slide with Cimbel III strong from 1968 was removed. Finally Mense Ruiter made an independent pedal with a Bourdon 16'. The instrument was put back into use on 8 May 1992.

Village Church

Doornspijk, NL

Neoclassical church with tower. Extensions in 1950 and 1996. Since 2004 also in shared use as a Reformed Reformed Church.

Village church

Kinderdijk, NL

The church was designed in 1916 by architect Jan Wils and built in 1923-1924 in Expressionist architectural style with clear influences from FL Wright. Wils was, like JJP Oud and R. van 't Hoff, one of the architects from De Stijl who were particularly inspired by Wright. The stained glass windows were probably designed by T. van Doesburg or a style related to him. The church was built against the Lekdijk on the outer dike side. The high bell tower marks the location of the church in the bend of the dike near the nearby village centre. NB In 1966 the church was partly adapted: the organ was removed, the slope was removed from the floor, the pew plan was changed and the pulpit and communion table were renewed. In 1997 the pointing was renewed (flat).

Village Church of Gelmeroda

Village Church of Gelmeroda

Weimar, DE

The village church of Gelmeroda was built from the 13th century. At the beginning of the 13th century, the oldest part of the choir tower church was built. The nave was built in the 14-15th century and rebuilt later. During the GDR era, the church was abandoned. The citizens of the village and the surrounding area became active as members of an association and saved the building from decay. After extensive renovation work, the church was consecrated again in 1991 and in 1994 it became the first church in the new Länder to be granted the status of a motorway church.

Villers Abbey

Villers Abbey

Villers-la-Ville, BE

Villers Abbey was founded in 1146 by Bernard de Clairvaux and was one of the first "daughters" of the Abbey of Clairvaux. After a period of decline from the 14th to the 17th century, the abbey experienced a second golden age in the 18th century when some of its buildings were refurbished in the neoclassical style (facades of the church and the convent building). Sacked by the French Revolution and then confiscated by it as national property, its monks were then expelled and its estate sold in lots.

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