Westerkirk - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Posted by: Metro2
N 52° 22.470 E 004° 53.006
31U E 628210 N 5804361
Westerkirk's steeple...called Westertoren, or Western Tower has a crown at the top.
Waymark Code: WMHC6Q
Location: Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Date Posted: 06/22/2013
Views: 34
This Dutch Protestant church was built between 1620 and 1631. Rembrandt is buried here...somewhere, but his gravesite hasn't been found.
The church's tower is also a carillon...and the highest spire in Amsterdam.
Wikipedia
(
visit link) adds:
"The spire, called the Westertoren ("western tower"), is the highest church tower in Amsterdam, at 85 meters (279 feet). The crown topping the spire is the Imperial Crown of Austria of Maximilian I. The church bells were made by François Hemony in 1648."
The Church's own website (
visit link) informs us:
"WESTERTOREN
The Westertoren has often been the subject of Amsterdam croon songs and is even mentioned in Anne Frank's famous diary. During summer, the tower is open to the public up to the first level.
Crown
Standing 85 metres tall, the famous 'Ouwe Wester' is Amsterdam's highest church tower. The steeple with its imperial crown was built in 1638. Until 2006, the imperial crown had a golden yellow colour. When restoration works were carried out in 2006 and 2007, the tower was given a historically more appropriate colour scheme. The most striking element is the bright, blue-coloured crown. In 1906, celebrating Rembrandt's year of birth 300 years earlier, the colour of the crown was changed from blue to golden yellow. In the "Rembrandt year" 2006, exactly one hundred years later, the colour was restored to its original blue.
Carillon
The Westertoren carillon can be heard several times a day. It can be played by hand and the bells were made by François Hemony. Boudewijn Zwart is the regular performing artist playing the carillon.
Bells
Leading up to a service in the Westerkerk you will hear the bells ringing. Have a thought for the bell-ringers, a group of volunteers from the Westerkerk congregation, who are ringing the bells by hand.
Church and tower separated
When in 1795 the French legislature introduced the separation of church and state, the Westerkerk became the property of what was then the Dutch Reformed Church. But the Westertoren remained in the hands of the Amsterdam municipal authorities. Fancy climbing the tower? Go to the I amsterdam web site for further information."
See a close-up of the crown at (
visit link)