Striking paintings, high towers and the battle against the water. It's all in a new, fist-thick book about the churches of Groningen.
They tower high and proud above the empty, vast countryside:churches in the province of Groningen. There you see only a few trees and every now and then there is a village, often built on an elevation (wierde), which makes the towers extra striking. I grew up in the Groningen countryside and every car trip my mother, grandfather or grandmother pointed to the churches that stuck up like pins. They always immediately gave the names of the villages, such as Wehe-den-Hoorn, Baflo or Middelstum.
Racial water
These are churches that not only catch the eye from afar, but also have an eventful history. Remarkably often they were (partially) rebuilt after flooding, they were embellished by increasing prosperity or, conversely, more austere by the Reformation. You will find it all in the book Ode to the old Groningen churches. Poet and NRC editor Marjoleine de Vos and author Justin Kroesen both write a text per church. De Vos sketches the atmosphere. Kroesen provides an overview of the building history. He is professor of cultural history at the University of Bergen (Norway) and previously worked for many years at the University of Groningen.
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An interesting example of the eventful past of the churches is the prayer house of Beerta. It is clear from the building history that it is not self-evident that a church still stands in this village. It was built in the sixteenth century on an elevation.
That was not an exaggerated measure, as the area was ravaged by flooding from the raging waters of the Dollard. But it wasn't enough. During the St. Martin's Flood of 1686, the village had to deal with 'the sad judgment of Godts in the terrible flood', as stated in the church council report. The church needed a lot of renovation. And even after that there were regular problems. Like a century later when suddenly stones fall down, because the vault collapsed. This changed the shape of the church. Instead of gables, the church got a hipped roof that can still be admired today, and has a striking blue-green color at the bottom. The building in Beerta shows in a nutshell how the churches had to be adapted over the centuries.
Quarrel
Other places of worship do not stand out so much because of the building history, but also because of the color. Take the red church of Bierum, whose tower is also quite crooked. The most striking church is that of Den Andel in the north of the province. There you will find a tower on a mound that is separate from the ship. There is a hole in between and you can look at a meadow with sheep. Next to it is a table in the open air, so that you can have a picnic in one of the most beautiful places in the Netherlands.
Inside, you'll find another fourteenth-century drawing of armed knights in armor. Religious scholar Saskia van Lier is quoted in the book. She explains the scene as an example of a quarrel being settled in a duel. It provides a startling glimpse into the past of this region.
It's all well written in this hefty book. The texts are a bit on the concise side, but they do contain a lot of information and here and there you will also find fascinating anecdotes. The photos of the outside and inside of the churches are beautiful and show the versatility of the places of worship.
Most beautiful church in the Netherlands
Unfortunately, not all Groningen churches are included in this book. There is only room for the buildings that are managed by the Oude Groninger Kerken Foundation. As a result, the nineteenth-century Sint-Willibrorduskerk in Kloosterburen is missing. In my opinion, this neo-Gothic building is the most beautiful in the Netherlands, because of the pointed tower and the beautiful interior with beautiful statues and stained glass windows.
That does not alter the fact that there is enough beautiful things to see and interesting to learn for those who read this book. Ode to the old Groningen churches contains a wealth of information for people who already know the churches and contains beautiful discoveries for those who do not know anything about them yet.