Grote Kerk (Breda)

The Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (English: Church of Our Lady ), and Grote Kerk, is an evangelical church in the Dutch city of Breda, where it is the most important monument. It is an important example of Brabant Gothic.

History

For the first time in 1269 a stone church is called in Breda, which was in 1303 raised to the collegiate church. 1410 has started with the construction of the present church. The new building sat on the east. 1468 the transept was completed. After the 1457 collapse of the old tower of the present tower was built from 1468 to 1509. Until 1526, the side chapels of the nave were built from 1526 to 1536 was the construction of the ambulatory. In 1547 construction was completed in total. After 1566 the iconoclasm was already done, the church was in 1637 during the Reformation finally over to the Reformed. The pen was lifted in 1648. After the fire of the spire in 1694 the tower was given a Baroque crown in 1702. Since 1843 the church was thoroughly restored. The last major renovation took place from 1993 to 1998.

The church now belongs to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands and is only occasionally used for worship purposes, but also serves other provisions, including as a restaurant.

In the Prince Chapel ancestor of the Royal Family are buried (from the House of Nassau -Breda ).

Equipment

The organ dates back to an instrument from 1534 that has been modified and rebuilt several times in the course of time. The present condition is due to an extensive restoration by the organ builder Flentrop ( Zaandam ) in 1938.