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Grote of Jacobijnerkerk

Grote of Jacobijnerkerk (transl. Great, or Jacobin Church) is a Protestant church in the city of Leeuwarden, Netherlands. The square surrounding the church is the Jacobijnerkerkhof.

History[edit]

The church was built in the 13th century. The building was originally part of the Dominican (Jacobin) monastery founded in 1245. It is Leeuwarden's oldest building. In 1256 the famous theologian Albertus Magnus visited the monastery and preached in the church.[1] In 1392 the building was damaged by a fire. It was restored in 1394. An aisle was added in 1504. The church was extended to the west with a bay that was completed in 1521.[2] There was a major restoration in the years 1971-1976.[3] In 1972 remnants of murals appeared. These murals were completed in 1575 and over-painted in 1578 during the Reformation. The Diet in the church on 17 April 1581 was requested by William the Silent. A memorial was unveiled by Arno Brok on 17 April 2018. It is a bronze relief by sculptor Eric Claus.[4]

Interior[edit]

Organs[edit]

The main organ (three manuals, 37 stops) of the Grote Kerk is one of the most beautiful sounding baroque organs of the Netherlands. It was built by the Amsterdam organ builder Christian Müller in 1727. The choir organ was built in 1977 by Vermeulen and a third organ was built by Metzler Orgelbau.


There were concerts in the church by the famous organists Camille Saint-Saëns in 1897 and Albert Schweitzer in 1932.[5]

Bernhard van Haersma Buma (2008), Grote of Jacobijnerkerk te Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, Friese Pers Boekerij,  9789033006487

ISBN

(in Dutch) , official website

Grote Kerk Leeuwarden