Zuiderkerk (South Church), Amsterdam
The ornate Renaissance tower of the Zuiderkerk inspired Wren and Monet.
Satellite map of the Zuiderkerk in southern Amsterdam. For a larger view,
see our Amsterdam Map or Google Earth download.
Gorgeous enough to have inspired both Sir Christopher Wren and Monet, the 17th-century Zuiderkerk (South Church) was Amsterdam's first Protestant church.
This famous church was built between 1603 and 1611 by Hendrick de Keyser, one of the most prolific architects of Holland's Golden Age.
Legend has it this church impressed the great British architect Sir Christopher Wren, who went on to build London's St. Paul's Cathedral (which superceded Keyser's Westerkerk as the world's largest Protestant church). Centuries later, Monet committed the Zuiderkerk to canvas.
The Zuiderkerk was one of the earliest churches built in Amsterdam in the Renaissance style and was the first in the city to be built for the Dutch Reformed Church.
Three of Rembrandt's children were buried in the Zuiderkerk and the floor was used to store the surplus of corpses during the Hunger Winter of 1945.
In recent years the South Church has succumbed to a shortage of worshipers and today houses a permanent exhibit on Amsterdam's ambitious future building plans.
The church tower, a soaring accumulation of columns, brackets, and balustrades, is one of the most glorious exclamation points in Amsterdam. Also glorious are the panoramic views from its balconies, which can be seen on an hourly guided tour. Its bells are played every Thursday between noon and 1.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Zuiderkerk; South Church |
| Type of site: | Dutch Reformed church |
| Dates: | 1603-11 |
| Status: | Deconsecrated |
| Address: | Zuiderkerkhof, Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Location: | Between Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein |
| Phone: | 020/689-2565 for tower |
| URL: | http://www.zuiderkerk.amsterdam.nl/ |
| Tram: | 9 or 14 to Waterlooplein |
| Hours: | Church Mon. 11-4; Tues., Wed., and Fri. 9-4; Thurs. 9-8. Tower (tours only) June-Oct., Wed.-Sat. 2, 3, and 4. |
| Cost: | Free |
Sources
- Personal visit (November 2006; outside only)
- Fodor's Amsterdam, 2nd ed.
