Description of the attraction
The new church is located in the central square of Amsterdam, Dam Square, near the Royal Palace. Despite the name, it is one of the oldest churches in the city.
By the beginning of the 15th century, Amsterdam was rapidly growing and developing, its population was increasing, and the church of St. Nicholas (Old Church) that existed at that time could no longer accommodate all the parishioners. Therefore, in 1408, permission was obtained from the Archbishop of Utrecht to build another church. The new church was consecrated in honor of St. Mary and St. Catherine. The church suffered a lot from fires, and in the middle of the 17th century it was practically rebuilt after one of these fires. Another large-scale reconstruction took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, during which some neo-Gothic details were added to the church. The coronations of the queens Wilhelmina, Juliana and Beatrix were held here.
At the end of the 20th century, it was again necessary to restore and strengthen the old building, but the Netherlands Reformed Church stated that it did not have enough funds for this, and the church would have to be closed.
The church was transferred to a specially created secular foundation. Now the church is used for various exhibitions and organ concerts. Divine services are not held in the church, but it was here that the wedding of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his coronation in 2012 took place.
Many prominent public figures of the Netherlands are buried in the church, such as Admiral Mikhail Ruyter, scientist and writer Caspar Barleus, surgeon and mayor of Amsterdam Nicholas Tulp and many others.
