Van Harens Church
St. Annaparochie is particularly known because of the marriage of Saskia van Uylenburgh and Rembrandt van Rijn that took place in the area. It did not happen in this church building, but in its predecessor. The Local Commission that manages the church preserves the memory of this special marriage.
About this building
Sint Annaparochie is located at a crossroads in the gregarious (municipality) Het Bildt, which was founded in 1506 when the Middelzee was embanked between Oostergo and Westergo. The first church was replaced in 1526 with permission of Charles V by a simple stone church with a tower. This church served until 1682. The marriage of Rembrandt van Rijn and Saskia van Uylenburgh in 1634 therefore took place in the old church, a fact that is still celebrated today. The present church became the first in Friesland with an eight-sided central construction, the favorite building style of Protestantism in those days, where the Word of God should be central. The church creates a sober impression from the outside, but actually features a rich interior. The organ was donated in 1727 by Willem van Haren, a cousin of the grietman who left his mark on the interior, who himself was also grietman van het Bildt. The Local Commission that has managed the church since the takeover by the Alde Fryske Tsjerken Foundation in 2013 rents the church for mourning and wedding services and organises cultural activities on a limited scale. The wedding of Saskia van Uylenburgh and Rembrandt van Rijn is a source of inspiration for future activities.
