Hooglandse Kerk

Hooglandse Kerk
Hooglandse Kerk
Location
Location	Leiden, Netherlands
Geographic coordinates	52° 9′ 29″ N, 4° 29′ 39″ E
Architecture
Style	Gothic architecture
Specifications
Length	70,7 meters
Width	65,7 meters

Last updated January 30, 2023

The Hooglandse Kerk is a Gothic church in Leiden. Its earliest parts date back to the last quarter of the fourteenth century. Most of the current structure dates from the fifteenth century. The brick church was dedicated to St. Pancras and today serves parishioners of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.

History

Essays written to commemorate the 700th jubilee of de Hooglandse or Saint Pancras church give an overview of history of church, based on a review of the literature, archival research, and dendrological investigations of the wooden roof.^[1]^[2] It is summarized below.

Wooden chapel and simple brick church

The history of the Hooglandse Kerk began when the bishop of Utrecht, Gwijde of Avesnes, granted permission on 20 December 1314 for the construction of a wooden chapel on the 'Hooge Land' (High Land) as an annex of the parish church of Leiderdorp. The chapel was dedicated to Saint Pancratius (b. ca. 300) and consecrated in September 1315. On October 29, 1366, the bishop of Utrecht, John of Virneburg, raised the church to a chapter church. The canons that belonged to the collegiate chapter of Saint Pancras were predominantly derived from ancient families and mostly of nobility. Construction of a simple stone church to replace the wooden chapel started in 1377. The roof of the nave of this new church, built in the already then somewhat archaic romano-gothic style, was completed shortly after 1392 and the construction project was completed in the last years of the 14th century. Parts of the tower of the 14th-century church are still in evidence in the current church.

Unfinished Gothic church

On the advocacy of Charles the Bold, Pope Paul II granted the chapter of Saint Pancras' exemption on February 24, 1470. As a result, the chapter no longer fell under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Utrecht, but under the direct authority of the pope. The increasing stature of the St Pancras church and urban growth of Leiden gave rise to the idea of building a great cross church, which must surpass the Pieterskerk in all respects. Construction of the new church in the Gothic style began around 1470 and dendrological evidence indicates that the roof of the ambulatory was completed shortly after 1472, with that of the transepts and the choir by the end of the 15th century. The transept is the longest gothic transept in the Netherlands with a length of 65.70 meters. Construction of the nave was considered in the early years of the 16th century. Plans were developed and construction started but the project was abandoned by mid century. The extension and elevation of the nave, the stone vaults, air bows and balustrades were not completed, leaving the church with a nave that is much lower than the transept and the choir. The church was elaborately decorated in the 16th century with 24 altars, stained glass windows, and frescos. An altar dedicated to its patron Saint Pancras had a prominent place in the church.

Cathedral

Around 1525 it was discussed to elevate the St. Pancras church to cathedral status. Leiden would become a bishop's seat and the collegiate chapter would be elevated to a cathedral chapter. However, at the episcopal reorganization of 1559, the intended bishop's seat eventually fell to the Grote or Sint-Bavokerk in Haarlem.

Reformation and the Dutch Revolt

Two related but different developments influenced the physical appearance and the governance of the St. Pancras church in the 16th and 17th centuries. The rise of especially the Calvinist reformation in the Netherlands and the Dutch revolt against Spain (1568–1648). The tension around the rise of the Protestant Reformation gave rise to two days of robbery and plunder of all churches in Leiden, including the St. Pancras. During the iconoclasm of August 1566 numerous religious artifacts and archives were looted or destroyed. A second wave of religiously inspired violence, this time extending beyond looting and including violence against persons, occurred in 1572. This second wave of violence occurred shortly after Leiden City council had declared itself for the revolt against Philip II, after starting discussions with the leader of the revolt, William of Orange, as early as 1570.^[3] Troops under Lumey and loyal to the revolt had entered the city in June 1572 and participated in the second wave of violence.^[4]

From 1572 the churches in Leiden were controlled by the City Council and made available by them to the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church). The St Pancras became known as the Hooglandse Kerk and saw its first Protestant service in July 1574 in a much-changed interior: White-washed walls, plain transparent glass, seats for the congregation and no statuary or altars. The original three parishes of the Pieterkerk, the St Pancras church, and the Vrouwenkerk were subsumed in the Dutch Reformed Congregation of Leiden and used as needed, which included grain storage during Leiden's siege in 1574 and quartering of troops in 1618 at the height of the dispute between followers of Armenius and Gomaris.

The ground-level look of the Hooglandse Kerk changed with the construction of three small houses against the church's west wall in 1591–93 and a further two against the Sacristy in 1649, and five more against the north wall in 1650. The church's caretaker lived in one of these houses and the rest were rented out, with the proceeds allocated to the operations and maintenance of the church.

17th century – present

in 1665, the Hooglandse Kerk received a new west portal, executed in a mix of classical and gothic elements. Seventeenth-century representations of the church indicate that its exterior is by-and-large the same as it is in the early 21st century: A tall gothic choir and transept, a much lower nave, and a relatively short bell tower, the top part of which is clad with wood. The number of small houses built against the church waxed and waned over time and with the taste and political will of the times. By the early part of the 19th century, the church is almost completely ringed by these small houses, some of which have been subsequently demolished and others renovated.

Much of the 19th- and 20th-century history of the Hooglandse Kerk focuses on renovations after the building had been damaged by a major explosion nearby in 1807 and insufficient upkeep of the centuries-old building. A renovation campaign was started in 1839 and continued off and on until 1979 when the church was officially reopened. The early days of the renovation were under the guidance of architects J.C. Rijk and W.C. Mulder. Part of the work was on the vault of the nave (1840) and the beautiful wooden vaults in the choir and the transept (1850) that give a good impression of the original spatial effect. During this period, the choir gate was removed from the high choir. A. Mondt jr. was responsible for the project starting from 1920 till the start of the Second World War and Architect Piet van der Sterre took on the project from 1947 to 1978 and the project was brought to conclusion by Ab Peetoom.

The Hooglandse Kerk continues to hold church services; the Ecumenical Leiden Students Ekklesia worship there every Sunday.^[5] It is also the venue of conferences, concerts and other events.^[6]

References and sources

Related Research Articles

St. Martin's Cathedral, Utrecht, or Dom Church, is a Gothic church dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, which was the cathedral of the Diocese of Utrecht during the Middle Ages. It is the country's only pre-Reformation cathedral, but has been a Protestant church since 1580.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Rumbold's Cathedral</span> Cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium

St. Rumbold's Cathedral is the Roman Catholic metropolitan archiepiscopal cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium, dedicated to Saint Rumbold, Christian missionary and martyr who had founded an abbey nearby. His remains are rumoured to be buried inside the cathedral. State-of-the-art examination of the relics honoured as Saint Rumbold's and kept in a shrine in the retro-choir, showed a life span of about 40 years and a death date between 580 and 655, while tradition had claimed 775 AD.

Laon Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in Laon, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France. Built in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it is one of the most important and stylistically unified examples of early Gothic architecture. The church served as the cathedral of the Diocese of Laon until 1802, and has been recognized as a monument historique since 1840.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grote Kerk, Haarlem</span> Church in Haarlem, Netherlands

The Grote Kerk or St.-Bavokerk is a Reformed Protestant church and former Catholic cathedral located on the central market square in the Dutch city of Haarlem. Another Haarlem church called the Cathedral of Saint Bavo now serves as the main cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam.

The Cathedral of Saint Bavo is a cathedral in Haarlem, the Netherlands, built by Joseph Cuypers from 1895 to 1930 to replace the former waterstaatskerk in the Jansstraat called the St. Joseph. That church was itself a replacement for the Sint-Bavokerk, that had been converted to Protestantism from Catholicism in 1578. The Cathedral of Saint Bavo now serves as the main cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam. Within the cathedral, the former sacristy has been converted into a small museum (schatkamer) containing historical artefacts from Haarlem's Catholic past.

The Catholic Cathedral Church of St. John (Sint-Janskathedraal) of 's-Hertogenbosch, North Brabant, is the height of Gothic architecture in the Netherlands. It has an extensive and richly decorated interior, and serves as the cathedral for the bishopric of 's-Hertogenbosch.

Metz Cathedral, otherwise the Cathedral of Saint Stephen, Metz, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Metz, capital of Lorraine, France. It is dedicated to Saint Stephen. First begun in the early 14th century, it was joined with the collegiate church of Notre-Dame in the mid-14th century, and given a new transept and late Gothic chevet, finished between 1486 and 1520. It is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metz as the seat of the bishops of Metz. The cathedral treasury displays the collection, assembled over 1,000 years, of the bishopric of Metz, including paraments and items used for the Eucharist.

Nieuwerkerk is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 23 km south of Hellevoetsluis.

The Oude Kerk, nicknamed Oude Jan and Scheve Jan, is a Gothic Protestant church in the old city center of Delft, the Netherlands. Its most recognizable feature is a 75-meter-high brick tower that leans about two meters from the vertical.

English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed arches, rib vaults, buttresses, and extensive use of stained glass. Combined, these features allowed the creation of buildings of unprecedented height and grandeur, filled with light from large stained glass windows. Important examples include Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral. The Gothic style endured in England much longer than in Continental Europe.

Toul Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Toul, Lorraine, France. It is a classic example of late Gothic architecture in the Flamboyant style. The cathedral has one of the biggest cloisters in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Michael's Church, Ghent</span>

Saint Michael's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Ghent, Belgium built in a late Gothic style. It is known for its rich interior decoration.

The Basilica of Our Lady is a Romanesque church in the historic center of Maastricht, Netherlands. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption and is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Roermond. The church is often referred to as the Star of the Sea, after the church's main devotion, Our Lady, Star of the Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brabantine Gothic</span> Variant of Gothic architecture that is typical for the Low Countries

Brabantine Gothic, occasionally called Brabantian Gothic, is a significant variant of Gothic architecture that is typical for the Low Countries. It surfaced in the first half of the 14th century at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in the City of Mechelen.

Saint Bavo's Cathedral, also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Catholic Church in Ghent, Belgium. The 89-meter-tall Gothic building is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent and is named for Saint Bavo of Ghent. It contains the well-known Ghent Altarpiece.

The St. Peter in Chains Church is a church in Neo-Gothic style with a rich Baroque interior located at the Market Square in Beringen, Belgium. It is the parish church of Beringen centre and the decanal church of the deanery of Beringen. The chancel, nave and transept are protected since 1949 and the neo-Gothic parts since 1993.

The Mixed youth choir Leiden orphanage was the choir of the Heilige Geest- of Arme Wees- en Kinderhuis in the city of Leiden in the Netherlands between 1796 and 1802. It was the first mixed youth choir in Western Europe.

St. Mary's Church, also called Mariakerk or Maria Maior, was one of five collegiate churches in the Dutch city of Utrecht, the others being St. Martin's Cathedral, St. Salvator's Church, the Pieterskerk, and the Janskerk. It dated from the eleventh century and was considered one of the finest buildings in Romanesque style in the Netherlands.

The Saint Quentin's Church or Sint-Kwintenskerk is a Roman Catholic church located at the Naamsestraat in Leuven, Belgium. Its exterior is mainly Gothic with a Baroque entrance portal. The interior contains Baroque choir stalls and altars. The church is named after the Saint Quentin, who is regarded in the Catholic faith as a protector against a wide range of contagious diseases.

The Heuvelse kerk is a neo-Gothic Catholic church in the center of the Dutch city Tilburg. Dedicated to Saint Joseph, it is one of two major Catholic churches in the city center together with the Heikese kerk. It is located along the square Heuvel, after which it is named. A 1921 statue of the Sacred Heart is located in front of the building.

References

↑ Veerman, John (2015). De Bouwgeschiedenis van de Hooglandse Kerk. in. Elias van der Plicht en Paul de Tombe (editors). Zeven Eeuwen Hooglandse Kerk. Leiden: College van Kerkrentmeesters vand de Prodestantse gemeente te Leiden. pp. 197–284. ISBN 978-90-9029156-7.
↑ van der Plicht, Elias (2015). Een kapel, een kapittel en bijna een kathedraal: de Sint Pancras van bijkerk to beeldenstormen. in in. Elias van der Plicht en Paul de Tombe (editors). Zeven Eeuwen Hooglandse Kerk. College van Kerkrentmeesters van de Prodestantse gemeente te Leiden.
↑ van der Lem, Anton (2015). Willem van Oranje en Leiden (PDF). Primavera Pers. ISBN 978-90-5997-215-5.
↑ Pollmann, Judith. "Iedereen Slachtoffer, Het verleden herschrijven na het Beleg van Leiden (1573-1574)" (PDF). Geschiedenis Magazine. 5 (2015): 18–21.
↑ "Onze Vieringen". Ekklesia Leiden. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
↑ van der Plicht, Elias (2015). Een multifunctioneel godshuis in een geseculariseerde maatschappij in Elias van der Plicht and Paul de Tombe (editors). De Kathedraal van het licht. Zeven eeuwen Hooglandse Kerk. College van Kerkmeesters van de Prodestantse gemeente te Leiden. pp. 145–196. ISBN 978-90-9029156-7.

Sources

Elias van der Plicht and Paul de Tombe (editors). De Kathedraal van het licht. Zeven eeuwen Hooglandse Kerk. College van Kerkmeesters van de Prodestantse gemeente te Leiden 2015

Coordinates: 52°09′29″N4°29′39″E / 52.15806°N 4.49417°E / 52.15806; 4.49417

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Veerman, John (2015). De Bouwgeschiedenis van de Hooglandse Kerk. in. Elias van der Plicht en Paul de Tombe (editors). Zeven Eeuwen Hooglandse Kerk. Leiden: College van Kerkrentmeesters vand de Prodestantse gemeente te Leiden. pp. 197–284. ISBN 978-90-9029156-7.

[2] van der Plicht, Elias (2015). Een kapel, een kapittel en bijna een kathedraal: de Sint Pancras van bijkerk to beeldenstormen. in in. Elias van der Plicht en Paul de Tombe (editors). Zeven Eeuwen Hooglandse Kerk. College van Kerkrentmeesters van de Prodestantse gemeente te Leiden.

[3] van der Lem, Anton (2015). Willem van Oranje en Leiden (PDF). Primavera Pers. ISBN 978-90-5997-215-5.

[4] Pollmann, Judith. "Iedereen Slachtoffer, Het verleden herschrijven na het Beleg van Leiden (1573-1574)" (PDF). Geschiedenis Magazine. 5 (2015): 18–21.

[5] "Onze Vieringen". Ekklesia Leiden. Retrieved December 14, 2020.

[6] van der Plicht, Elias (2015). Een multifunctioneel godshuis in een geseculariseerde maatschappij in Elias van der Plicht and Paul de Tombe (editors). De Kathedraal van het licht. Zeven eeuwen Hooglandse Kerk. College van Kerkmeesters van de Prodestantse gemeente te Leiden. pp. 145–196. ISBN 978-90-9029156-7.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]