The history of the impressive St. Gummarus Church dates back to the Middle Ages. However, the church as it stands today was built in 1901. The church was destroyed in WWII and restored immediately after the war.
Although the current Sint-Gummaruskerk was built in 1901, the church has a history that dates back to the late 13th century, when the first church was founded in Steenbergen. This early church, of which no images are known, was replaced around the year 1505-1510 by a long Gothic cruciform church dedicated to James the Greater, the Sint-Jacobskerk.
During the Eighty Years' War, St. James' Church was degraded and used as a barrack. As a state city, Steenbergen was given a Protestant government that banned Catholic worship services. St James's Church was taken over by the Protestant community and demolished in 1820 and replaced by the current White Church.
The Catholics held their services in the barns around Steenbergen until 1707, when a hidden church (dedicated to Saint Gummarus van Lier) was established in the Kleine Kerkstraat.
In the 19th century, Catholics in the south of the Netherlands were given more freedom to practice their religion freely. This led to the construction of new churches throughout North Brabant. This is also the case in Steenbergen, where a church was built in the middle of the Grote Markt in 1831, again named after Sint-Gummarus. However, this church was found to be too small. In 1900 the construction of a new church, the current one, was started, and was completed in 1901.
During the Second World War there was heavy fighting in and around Steenbergen. The Gummarus Church, which offered an enormous view of the entire West Brabant region, was blown up. All the towers collapsed, the ship burned out completely and all the glassware was lost.
Restoration began in 1946, and the roof over the nave was repaired in 1949, so that Christmas was held in the church for the first time in five years. The corner towers were rebuilt in the mid-1950s and the crossing tower was also completed in 1960.
Although the current St. Gummarus Church was built in 1901, the history of the church dates back to the late 13th century, when the first church was founded in Steenbergen. This early church, of which no images are known, was replaced around the years 1505-1510 by a long Gothic cruciform church dedicated to James the Elder, the Church of St. James.