The Amstelkerk (English: Amstel Church) is a Reformed church building in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It lies in the southern part of the Grachtengordel neighborhood, near the Amstel River, between the Prinsengracht, Reguliersgracht and Keizersgracht. The church was designed by Daniël Stalpaert and was originally intended as a wooden[1] emergency church, erected to provide for church services in the fourth Golden Age extension of Amsterdam laid out in 1662,[2] but it was never replaced by a more permanent building.[3] The church was expanded several times starting in 1673[4] with annexes built of stone.[2] The interior originally had a very modest appearance, but was replaced by a neogothic design by Hendrik Springer in 1842.[4] In the early 19th century, plans were drawn up, but never executed, to build the Dutch Mint in the square next to church.[2] The church was bought by Stadsherstel Amsterdam in the late 1980s, which completed renovations in 1990.[3]

Amstelkerk
The Amstelkerk in 2005
Religion
AffiliationProtestant Church in the Netherlands
RiteCalvinist
Location
LocationAmstelveld 10, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Geographic coordinates52°21′44″N 4°53′47″E / 52.36222°N 4.89639°E / 52.36222; 4.89639
Architecture
Architect(s)Daniël Stalpaert
Hendrik Springer
StyleDutch Renaissance
Groundbreaking1668
Completed1670

The building is no longer in use as a church. Some parts of the building have been converted to office space,[3] and the church is used for classical concerts. The building is open to the public on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00.[1]

Trivia

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Johannes Paulus Stricker, the uncle of Vincent van Gogh, was a preacher in the Amstelkerk.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Amstelkerk". I Am Sterdam (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Jaarboek Monumentenzorg 1990". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). 1990. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Jarige Amstelkerk Amsterdam krijgt facelift". Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Monumenten in Nederland. Noord-Holland". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Amstelkerk". Van Gogh Route (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 May 2020.
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  • Amstelkerk, official website of the owner of the church, Stadsherstel