Nieuwe Kerk was “new” when Amsterdam’s growing population needed a second parish church in the early fifteenth century. Beside Dam Square, its Gothic spaces preserve traces of fire, religious upheaval, royal ceremonies, and the elaborate craft of its pulpit and choir screen.
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The name “New Church” is relative: this church was approved in 1408 and consecrated to Saint Catherine in 1409, when the older parish church could no longer serve a growing city. Look up at the Gothic lines and imagine how this large building changed the feel of the developing Dam. It was not only a place for worship.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The church was consecrated in 1409.
- A major fire destroyed its roof in 1645.
- The interior includes the tomb of Admiral Michiel de Ruyter.
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