Description of the attraction
The North Church is a 17th century Protestant church in Amsterdam. The church was built in 1620-1623. due to the rapid population growth in Jordan - one of the districts of Amsterdam. A church called the Western Church already existed in this area, but it began to be lacking. The parishioners of the Northern Church were mostly ordinary citizens, while the Western Church was attended mostly by wealthy Amsterdammers.
The author of the project was the famous Dutch architect Hendrik de Keyser. He is also the author of the South and West Churches in Amsterdam. After his death in 1621, the construction of the church was completed under the leadership of his son, Peter de Keyser. The South and West Churches are traditional basilicas, while the North Church is symmetrical and cruciform in terms of plan, which is more in line with the ideals of the Renaissance and Protestantism. De Keyser's unique design combined an octagonal floor and a Greek cross with four beams of equal length. In the corners of the cross there are small outbuildings, and a tower rises in the center of the building.
A large-scale restoration was carried out in the church in 1993-1998, the tower was restored in 2003-2004, and the organ built in 1849 was renewed in 2005. The bell tower was built in 1621. Services are still held in the church, it belongs to the Netherlands Reformed Church. It also hosts regular classical music concerts. In 1941, secret meetings were held in the North Church to prepare for the February strike, as reminiscent of a commemorative plaque on the south wall of the church.
