Zuiderkerk
The Zuiderkerk (Southern Church) is a 17th-century Protestant
church in the Nieuwmarkt area of Amsterdam, the capital of the
Netherlands. The church played an important part in the life of
Rembrandt and was the subject of a painting by Claude Monet.
The Zuiderkerk was the city's first church built specifically for
Protestant services. It was constructed between 1603 and 1611
and stands on the Zuiderkerkhof (Southern Graveyard) square near the
Sint Antoniesbreestraat. The distinctive church tower, which dominates
the surrounding area, was not completed until 1614 and contains a
carillon of bells built by the brothers Hemony, installed in 1656
along with four bells which are rang monthly.
The design of the church in Amsterdam Renaissance style is by
Hendrick de Keyser, who was also buried in the church in 1621. A
memorial stone was placed on top of his tomb in 1921. De Keyser
designed the church as a pseudo-basilica in Gothic style, with a
central nave and two lower side aisles, six bays long, with Tuscan
columns, timber barrel vaults and dormers. The stained glass in the
rectangular windows was replaced by transparent glass in the 17th
Century. The richly detailed tower is a square stone substructure, on
which an octagonal sandstone section stands with free-standing columns
on the corners. On top of this is a wooden, lead-covered spire.