The Broerekerk was built in the 13th century as a monastery church for the Franciscans. The monastery was abandoned and demolished in 1580. The three-aisled church without a tower is a ruin as a result of a fire that took place on 8 May 1980. In 1986, the church was reopened as a ruin. This oldest monument in Bolsward was given a special glass roof in 2006. The designer, architect Jelle de Jong from Lemmer, managed to solve various dilemmas for reuse by covering the remains of the building with glass.
Under this special roof, the church can once again fulfil a social function, while retaining its character as a monument.
In 2008, the Restoration and Roofing of the Broerekerk was one of the 5 best projects in Friesland nominated for the Vredeman de Vries Prize. The prize ultimately went to GDA Architects for their design for the new office of Wonen Noordwest Friesland in
Sint Anna Parochie.