Amsterdam Nieuwe Kerk; New Church interior. Brass top ornament of the Choir Screen (ca 1650) by Johannes Lutma close up
The Nieuwe Kerk Choir Screen (detail) by famous silversmith Johannes Lutma the Elder (ca 1650). - Built in 15th century as a Roman Catholic church on Dam Square, next to the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk went to the Protestants after the changing of allegiance (Alteratie) of Amsterdam on May 26 1578, when the city went from Roman Catholic Spain to the Protestant Prince of Holland. In September 1578 there was a minor and late Iconoclastic Fury (Dutch: Beeldenstorm). The major Iconoclastic Furies in the Lowlands of Holland and Belgium took place in August 1566. Most damage to the church however was done by three fires: in 1421, 1452 and 1645. After the 1645 one this Choir Screen was commissioned. The Nieuwe Kerk is no longer used for church services: the last was in 2010 and before that in 1955. It is now used as an exhibition space and for organ recitals, usually in summer. The museum store inside the entrance sells postcards, books, and gifts related to the church and the exhibitions. There is a cafe in one of the buildings attached to the church that has entrances to the church (during opening hours) and the Dam Square. The church has been used for Dutch royal investiture ceremonies since 1814, most recently the one of King Willem-Alexander in 2013, as well as royal weddings, most recently the wedding of Willem-Alexander to Máxima in 2002. The investitures of Queens Wilhelmina, Juliana and Beatrix also took place there. The Dutch Golden Age (Dutch: Gouden Eeuw) was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world.
Size: 5587px × 3790px
Location: Dam Square, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Photo credit: © Wiskerke / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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