Please push F11 and make sure you are in "full screen" mode. These pictures complement our Amsterdam slide show. Please start there at: http://picasaweb.google.com/schmitt.dick/Amsterdam#slideshow .
Old Church (Oude Kerk) is in Amsterdam's oldest area now called "De Wallen" (named after the area within the medieval walls). Since the 14th century, it's been Amsterdam's red-light district.
Here we see the circular apse chapels (now empty,of course.) This was one of the first of many alterations made in Oude Kerk when the aisles were extended and rounded into the apse -- still in the 14th century.
If the new church (Nieuwe Kerk) started abuilding in 1408, how old is the old church (Oude Kerk)? About a century older. This was the church of St. Nicholas and dates from 1306 when Amsterdam was not much more than a dam built by fisherman on the river Amstel. (It’s the oldest building in today’s city.) Built upon a mound thought to be more stable than the marsh that surrounded it, the foundation nearly collapsed in the 1950s and the place was closed down for 24 years. Today it’s open for concerts and presentations – it’s wooden ceiling provides some of the best acoustics in Europe.
In many ways, this place is a survivor, as you’d expect from the oldest building in an old town. When Amsterdam when Protestant in a vicious way, the iconoclasts came and destroyed all of the Catholic religious symbols – except for up on this wood ceiling that was out of reach. It’s made of Estonian wood rather than stone, of course, to cut down on the weight to keep the structure from sinking into the soft riverbed. It’s the largest medieval wooden vault in Europe. How this ceiling survived the great fires that nearly wiped out Amsterdam in the 15th century is anyone’s guess.
I love these old architectural drawings that demonstrate the elegance of this structure -- and emphasize its iconic wooden vault.
Despite the many alterations, the place turned out pretty symmetric! Rapid growth of the town during the church's early years caused the the aisles to be lengthened and wrapped around the choir to form the apse. Then transept chapels were added. If you're into that sort of thing, a good history of the alternations can be found at: http://www.misericords.co.uk/amsterdam_oude_kerk.html
Visible through the glass is the wardern room where those responsible for the church had their office. The room was added in 1611 after the Reformation. This interior is from around 1770 with its Louis XV chairs.
These box pews date mainly from 1802 but some parts of them go back as far as the 17th century. These were reserved, o9f course, for city dignitaries.
A reusable laminated guide (with English text on the back) provides a low tech but highly usable guide.
Given the acoustics, the place is still known for organ concerts and has a long tradition of organ masters, some were also prolific composers. This is the Vater-Müller organ first built in 1724 (by Vater) but dismantled and reassembled a few times (by Müller) when the church was in danger of collapse. It's considered among the finest Baroque organs in Europe. The floor beneath housed many as the homeless congregated here during the Catholic days and the entire floor continued to be a cemetery. (The church was built over an existing cemetery.) Merchants also set up shops inside the nave. Rembrandt’s beloved wife Saskia was buried here in 1642 – in the place where all of her children were baptized.
Here's the baroque underside of the Vater-Müller organ.
This wooden pulpit lacks the Renaissance panache of Vinckenbrinck’s masterpiece in the New Church although it was built shortly before his (1642). By then, the money and prestige had moved to Dam Square and its Nieuwe Kerk. This one was done by a cabinet maker (not a sculptor) named Jan Pietersz. The minimal carvings were done by N. van Eyckelsbeeck.
Here's another example of cabinetry/woodcarving: the baroque rear entryway.
The Old Church has three organs including this "cabinet organ" whose doors open for concerts. In the New Church, these would be decorated by Amsterdam's best painters -- but the budget for the Old Church is much smaller.
I love this wooden spiral staircase and its always good to see a rest room in an old monument.
One of the most popular areas of Oude Kerk is the choir because it still retains about a dozen of its Misericords or “mercy seats.” These were used to give relief to those who had to stand for long periods of prayer with arms upraised. Not a seat, but a little support shelf to lean against, they folded down. For some reason, these rarely depicted Christian images; instead they represented folklore or pagan stories. Ironically, this secular theme allowed the Oude Kerk’s misericords to be spared by the iconoclasts. Who or why these seats exist is unknown. The Oude Kerk never had a chapter to pray the divine office. These may date from around 1480 as the clothing style depicted is from those times.
Here's the adages for the misericords. If you have nothing better to do, try to match these with the following slides.
We'll give you the first one: "Don't try the impossible." Here a man in elfin shoes tries to out yawn and oven door.
Now you're on your own. Put your answers in the comments section if you want.
Did you guess, "Sail when the wind allows; anything is easier when you have good help."
This one has me stumped (pun intended). Wood that I knew what adage it illustrated.
Enough of that! Here's a boat model from around 1400. Perhaps this recognizes the many sailors who took shore leave here in the red light district that has surrounded this place since at least the 14th century.
Miraculously, 3 Catholic stain glass windows have survived in the Lady (Marian) chapel. This was designed by Lambert van Noort and made by Digman Meynaertsz in 1555. This one features Gabriel's Annunciation to Maria and her Visitation to cousin Elizabeth.
Another 1555 design by van Noort. This is a Renaissance Adoration of the Shepherds. The Amsterdam seal with its three stacked St. Andrew crosses is at lower right. (The city donated this window).
The third window was designed by Dirk Crabeth also in 1555. The center depicts the Dormition (a death-like experience) of the Virgin. The upper area is by G. van Houten around 1700. All three windows were restored in the early 1960s.
This red door was once the town’s registry of marriage. Future spouses would travel through this door with their witnesses to see the marriage commission after which the bans would be posted. Getting a marriage license would be referred to as “going through the red door” just as we today say “tying the knot.”
Above the tombstones that are floor tiles, the vault ceiling contains traces of paintings of the Visitation and the Last Judgement.
At rear is an empty baptistery with an elaborate marble entrance. This was the 1648 grave plot of Cornelis de Graeff's family. Note the pilasters carved for this Renaissance Prince who combined enormous political power with huge commercial success.
A couple pagans guard the tomb above the baptistery entrance.
Today this is a performance space; private groups can rent it out as well. Note the entrance to the choir at center.
The Oude Kerk is near and dear to the hearts of we who use pictures to tell stories. It's the site of the annual presentation of the journalistic prize for photo of the year. If you don't remember these, try: http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_photogallery&task=blogsection&id=15&Itemid=115&bandwidth=high
Thanks for visiting. If you haven't seen our Amsterdam slides, please click on: http://picasaweb.google.com/schmitt.dick/Amsterdam#slideshow . Visit all of our travel pages at http://www. dickschmitt.com/travels.htm .
