The Oude Church

The Oude Church Amsterdam has long been associated with musical organs, and already had an organ against the tower wall in the 15th century. This organ used to be frequently played by the Dutch composer Jan Sweelink for many decades together. Today, the church has a total of two pipe organs - Vater Muller and Transeptorgel. You can definitely visit and explore these organs, and can also experience them live during concerts and church services like the ‘Silence’.

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This is a spectacular and incredible masterpiece by the Dutch painter Emmanuel de Witte. It is a painting representing the interior nave of the Oude Church Amsterdam, and took around 15 years to be completed. The painting was done by Emmanuel de Witte using his own perceptions, and doesn't really represent the true architecture. Yet, the painting is spectacular in its own sense.

The stained glass windows of the Oude Church Amsterdam represent in a spectacular way a number of biblical stories. The church has countless stained glass window works, but many fell victim to the 16th century Dutch and European iconoclasm. However, the windows of Marian Chapel luckily survived, and today attract a number of visitors. To admire the glass windows’ beauty at its finest, make sure to visit the church on a bright sunny day.

The nave of the church is marked by two sets of wooden choir stalls, which were built in the start of the 16th century. The southern stalls are fifteen in number, and the northern ones are 21 in number. These choir stalls are separated by handrails, and have a number of misericordes below them. These misericordes depict a number of figurines themed around humour.

The Mirror Room is a side room in Oude Kerk, with walls adorned by beautiful mediaeval European paintings. The beautiful painting covers almost the entire room, including doors and gives an exhilarating experience to visitors. It is themed on nature and depicts birds, flowers and plants and was earlier used as an office for matrimonial affairs. It is currently under renovation and you won't be able to access it.

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Apart from being known for its magnificent interiors and art works, the Oude Kerk also holds a legacy for housing the graves of Jan Sweelinck. He was a renowned Dutch musician and composer, and used to play the organ of Oude Church on a regular basis. With consistent efforts, he popularised his music which still echoes in the church halls today. Apart from Jan, you can also find the grave of Saskia, who was the spouse to Europe’s greatest painter - Rembrandt Van Rijn.

In recent years, the window of the Church of Holy Sepulchre was replaced with Anastassis. The Anastassis is a splendid piece of artwork by Girorgio Calo and consists of a mouth-blown stained glass in red. The light from the sun rays fills the room in a magnificent red, which appeals to the visitors. It is representative of the 16th century Iconoclasm, and revives the Roman Cahtolic visual language and art work back.

In 2019, artist and pro photographer Misha de Ridder was permitted in the Oude Church throughout the day and night. He spent his days capturing stunning photographs, ranging from the most miniscule detail like dust to the most beautiful church pictures. Among them, one of his abstract photographs Mischa de Knight came into prominence and is displayed in the church warden’s room.

This exhibit displays the work of Iswanto Hartono, a famous sculptor. He has taken up the work to establish and display the connection between Indonesian colonial past in relation to European aggression. Out of the entire collection and series of works, a candle wax figurine has been exhibited in the church museum. This candle wax has been shaped to represent a white coloniser, and was expected to melt when it. However, only the face and upper body melted, signifying the symbolism brought by Iswanto Hartono.

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