Oostkerk
This stately, octagonal domed church is the first church in Middelburg that was built specifically for Protestant worship. The church was built in baroque style and has lavish decorations and beautiful details. The church has remained virtually intact for 450 years. The Oostkerk is no longer in use as a church, but various cultural activities are organized there, including music performances. The good acoustics in the round dome make that extra special.
Location
Middelburg
Year built
1648-1667
Building Style
Dutch Classicism
Architects
Bartholomeus Drijfhout and Arent van 's-Gravesande
Client
City Council
Details
Top 100 monument and first Protestant church in the Netherlands
Wheelchair accessible
No
Owned by Monumentenbezit
Since 2018
Visitor information
The Oostkerk Foundation organizes cultural and social programs through exhibitions, debates and musical performances. They also organize tours there and it is possible to rent the church for events.
Visiting address:
Oostkerkplein 1, 4331 TL Middelburg
After the Reformation, former Catholic church buildings were taken into use by Protestants. However, the population of Middelburg grew so quickly that the church council of the then Dutch Reformed Church (later Reformed Church) requested the city council in 1644 to expand the number of churches in the city. The Oostkerk would become the first church in Middelburg that was built specifically for Protestant worship.
At the end of the 16th century, a new residential area was built due to population growth. The new church was built in this new residential area. However, in order to create a square, a number of houses had to be demolished, which were bought up by the city council especially for that purpose. The construction of the church was an expensive project anyway. The city council had gotten into debt and decided to double some taxes, including the tax on beer and wine.
The first design for the Oostkerk from 1646-16 47 was made by the Hague architect Bartholomeus Fransz . Drijfhout. The Middelburg city council had commissioned him to study the recently built Lutheran hall church in Amsterdam and the Nieuwe Kerk in Maassluis , a cruciform church . However, Drijfhout had a domed church in mind. On 26 March 1647 his design was approved and on 15 September 1648 the first stone was laid . Not long after, in 1649, Drijfhout died. Construction came to a standstill.
Due to the death of city mason Pieter Tessink in 1652 and the outbreak of the First English War in the same year, the economy suffered a heavy blow. Construction of the Oostkerk could not be resumed until 1655 , when architect and later city carpenter Arent van 's- Gravezande was appointed as supervisor. Van 's- Gravezande adjusted Drijfhout's design on one point : an open lantern was added instead of a bell tower . Four years later, however, work came to a standstill again when it became apparent that the dimensions of the stonework were incorrect. City mason De Co cq was dismissed as a result. The well-known architect Pieter Post and Arent van 's-Gravezande's brother , Pieter Arentsz . Noorwits , drew up a report stating how the church could still be completed. Under the supervision of city carpenter Louis Jolijt, who had succeeded Van 's- Gravezande as city carpenter after his death in 1662, the construction was completed. The first service was held on 6 July 1667.
The 17th-century Oostkerk stands out because of its ornamented entrance portal with sculptures. This seems contradictory, because Protestant church architecture is often associated with sober architecture. Despite the absence of pomp and circumstance and statues of saints, the architects of the Oostkerk nevertheless created a richly architectural building, according to the principles of Dutch classicism. This architectural style was based on classical architecture and was strongly influenced by the publications of Italian architects such as Andrea Palladio (1508-1580). In this style, a strict mathematical model was central, with which the decorations, such as pilasters, pediments (crowns), festoons (sculpted garlands with fruit, leaves and/or flowers) and sculptures had to correspond.
The symbolic sculpture, mainly of life and death, is mainly found in the exterior of the Oostkerk. For example, in the pediment of the entrance portal there is a sculpted merman and mermaid holding the coat of arms of Middelburg. They are the symbol of a maritime city. Above this is an eagle with spread wings. The bird represents the ascent to heaven. In the smaller segment-shaped pediment lies a sculpted skeleton. This symbolizes transience. Directly above, life is symbolized by angels with festoons of fruits and flowers.