The Grote or Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk is a Protestant church in the city of Tholen.
Originally this was a Catholic church that was probably founded at the end of the 13th century and was elevated to a collegiate church in 1404. Originally there were 9, later 11, canons. In 1452 the church was hit by a major city fire. The church was not completely destroyed, but it was in a bad state. The two lower sections of the tower date from before that time. These are from the 2nd half of the 14th century. The current church was built in the second half of the 15th century, and work probably started in 1458. Possibly Everaert Spoorwater was the master builder. The basilica nave will have been completed around 1510. In 1520 work was still being done on the choir aisle with radiating chapels, but this remained unfinished and was converted into a north choir in the second half of the 16th century. The south choir is probably early 15th century. At the end of the 15th century, the tower was also raised with two sections.
The Reformation led to unrest. In 1570, church treasures were robbed and, after Tholen had sided with William of Orange in 1577, the church was smashed to pieces in 1578. This will have related to an iconoclasm. The statues that adorned the entrance portal were also destroyed.
The church passed to the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk, later the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1579 the first pastor was installed and in 1638 a vestry was added. In 1755, the choir was separated from the nave and transept by a painted partition.
History:
The Catholic community in Tholen already had its own church at the end of the 13th century. The church in Tholen became a collegiate church in 1398. After Tholen sided with William of Orange in 1577, the Roman Catholic inhabitants had to attend church services in hidden churches in Halsteren or Lepelstraat. The crossing to North Brabant was initially forbidden by the lords of Zeeland on Sundays and public holidays, and in 1648 Catholic worship was banned after the Peace of Münster. After the invasion of the French troops in 1795 and the foundation of the Batavian Republic, freedom of religion came and in November of the same year pastors were appointed in Tholen and Nieuw-Vossemeer. The Roman Catholic faithful initially attended their church services in a house on Dalemsestraat that had been converted into a church, before the Walloon church was purchased and renovated in 1818 and consecrated on 12 May 1819. Because the 16th-century church building was so dilapidated, it was decided in 1898 to tear it down and build a new church on the same site.[3]
The Walloon church community existed in Tholen from 1687-1818.
The current hall church was built in 1900 in neo-Gothic style with a built-in tower designed by architect P. Snel from Hoorn. Various objects from the old church building were reused, including the clock from 1831, two statues, the black and white marble communion rail and the organ. The church was solemnly consecrated on November 19, 1900.
From 1975 it was decided to cooperate with the parishes of Oud-Vossemeer, Lepelstraat and Halsteren under the name HALTO. Ultimately, in 2008, this led to the merger of the 4 parishes into the Sint Christoffel Parish.
Source Wikipedia
Translated by Google •
In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!