The Great Church or St. James' Church (in Dutch, ''Grote Kerk'' or ''Sint-Jacobskerk'', ) is a landmark

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

church in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The building is located on the Torenstraat, named for its high tower. Together with the

Binnenhof The Binnenhof (; en, Inner Court) is a complex of buildings in the city centre of The Hague, Netherlands, next to the Hofvijver lake. It houses the meeting place of both houses of the States General of the Netherlands, as well as the Ministr ...

, it is one of the oldest buildings in The Hague. Members of the

House of Orange-Nassau The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands ...

have been baptised and married there. The latest are

Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born ) is King of the Netherlands, having acceded to the throne following Beatrix of the Netherlands, his mother's abdication in 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht as the old ...

and his daughter

Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria; born 7 December 2003) is the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the constituent countries of Aruba, Curaçao, the Net ...

History

The Great, or St. James' Church, was founded in the late 13th century, probably as a wooden church. The present church was built in stages, between the 14th and 16th century. First in the year 1337 sources speak of the “great church” (Dutch: ''grote kercke''), which is a typical historical indication of a brick structure. It has a fine vaulted interior, and contains some old stained glass, a carved wooden pulpit (1550), a large organ and interesting sepulchral monuments, and 34 escutcheons of the knights of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...

, placed here after the chapter of 1456. During

excavations In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

in 2009 archeologists determined that some basement walls were built with bricks which they could date between the year 1320 and 1350. Documents from the year 1399, referring to maintenance work on the church, show that by then the church was a brick construction. The stone church was originally built as a

cruciform Cruciform is a term for physical manifestations resembling a common cross or Christian cross. The label can be extended to architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described ...

church. In the facade adjacent to the tower, there are still traces of the roof line of 1424. They show a

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

with two lower

aisles Aisles is a six-piece progressive rock band originally from Santiago, Chile. The group was formed in 2001 by brothers Germán (guitar) and Luis Vergara (keyboards), and childhood friend Rodrigo Sepúlveda (guitar). Later on, it expanded to incl ...

. Between 1434 and 1455, both lower aisles were broadened and raised to the roof level of the nave, consequently losing the cross shape. This expansion made the St. James Church of The Hague the first example in the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

of the so-called “Hague Hall church”, a type of

hall church A hall church is a church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was invented in the mid-19th century by Wilhelm Lübke, a pioneering German art historian. In contrast to an archi ...

. From that time onwards, this type of church would be applied on a larger scale, especially in the

County of Holland The County of Holland was a State of the Holy Roman Empire and from 1433 part of the Burgundian Netherlands, from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands and from 1581 onward the leading province of the Dutch Republic, of which it remained a part ...

. The church is remarkable for its fine tower and chime of bells, and contains the

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...

monument of

Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam Jacob, Banner Lord of Wassenaer, Lord Obdam, Hensbroek, Spanbroek, Opmeer, Zuidwijk and Kernhem (1610 – 13 June 1665) was a Dutch nobleman who became lieutenant admiral, and supreme commander of the navy of the Dutch Republic. The name ''Obd ...

, designed and sculpted by

Bartholomeus Eggers Bartholomeus Eggers (c. 1637Bartholomeus Eggers
at the

in 1667,Scholten, Frits. “De Apotheose Van De Held: Bartholomeus Eggers En Het Monument Voor Jacob Van Wassenaer Obdam in Den Haag, 1667.”
Oud Holland, vol. 109, no. 1/2, 1995, pp. 63–88. JSTOR. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021 and the renaissance tomb of Gerrit van Assendelft (1487 - 1558). Also notable is the late

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

tomb of

Philip, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal Philip of Hesse-Philippsthal (14 December 1655 – 18 June 1721) was the son of William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Hedwig Sophia of Brandenburg. He was the first landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal from 1663 to 1721 and the founder of the f ...

and his wive Catherine of Solms-Laubach, designed by

Daniel Marot Daniel Marot or Daniel Marot the Elder (1661–1752) was a French-born Dutch architect, furniture designer and engraver at the forefront of the classicizing Late Baroque Louis XIV style. He worked for a long time in England and the Dutch Republic ...

in 1721. The church's six-sided tower was finished between 1420 and 1424. The tower, tall, is one of the tallest in the Netherlands. There are 34 panels with shields and names of knights of the golden fleece.

Rijksmonument A rijksmonument (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands ...

report The richly carved wooden pulpit was made in 1550. The mechanical clock has 15 bells by M. de Haze in 1686, one by Jasper and Jan Moer from 1541, one from H. Van Trier from 1570, one by Coenraat Wegewaert from 1647, and one from C. Fremy from 1692 and 31 modern bells. In the church tower there is an automatic

carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniou ...

by Libertus van den Burgh, from 1689. In the tower the mechanical clock was installed in 1927. The clock with drum by Heynrick Vabrie that was used from 1541 to 1689 is kept in the museum 'Speelklok' in

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...

. The church endured a fire in 1539, and the stained glass windows were repaired by leading glass artists, including the brothers

Dirk A dirk is a long bladed thrusting dagger.Chisholm, Hugh (ed.), ''Dagger'', The Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. VII, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (1910), p. 729 Historically, it gained its name from the Highland Dirk (Scot ...

and

Wouter Crabeth Wouter Pietersz. Crabeth II (1594 – c. 18 June 1644) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Biography Wouter Crabeth was born in Gouda in 1594, the son of the writer and politician Pieter Woutersz. Crabeth. He was named after his grandfather Wout ...

of Gouda.website "Stichting Grote Kerk Den Haag" - Bezienswaardigheden

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (Crown of Castile, Castil ...

, who visited the church after the fire, sponsored two windows by the Crabeths that, probably because of their royal origin, are the only two windows that have survived up to the present day. Under one of these windows lies a commemorative stone from 1857 for Constantijn and

Christiaan Huygens Christiaan Huygens, Lord of Zeelhem, ( , , ; also spelled Huyghens; la, Hugenius; 14 April 1629 – 8 July 1695) was a Dutch mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, and inventor, who is regarded as one of the greatest scientists of ...

, who were buried in unmarked graves in the choir of the church. Some notable people buried in the church are Count John Albert I of Solms-Braunfels, a cousin of

William the Silent William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...

, who died in exile (buried in 1623),

Rombout Hogerbeets Rombout Hogerbeets (Hoorn, 24 June 1561 — Wassenaar, 7 September 1625) was a Dutch jurist and statesman. He was tried for treason, together with Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, Hugo Grotius, and Gilles van Ledenberg during the political crisis of 1 ...

, Dutch statesman (1625),

Anthonie Duyck Anthonie Duyck (c. 1560 – 13 September 1629 ) was Grand Pensionary of Holland between 1621 and 1629. Life Anthonie Duyck was a descendant of a notable hollandic family which was founded in the 13th century. Anthonie was the son of Gijsbert ...

(in 1629), Grand Pensionary of Holland,

Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd (1602 – The Hague, 28 February 1665) was a Dutch soldier. He was the illegitimate son of Margaretha van Mechelen and Maurice, Prince of Orange, and so a collateral member of the House of Oran ...

, an illegitimate son of Maurice, Prince of Orange (in 1665),

Gaspar Fagel Gaspar Fagel (25 January 1634 – 15 December 1688) was a Dutch politician, jurist, and diplomat who authored correspondence from and on behalf of William III, Prince of Orange, during the English Revolution of 1688. Early life Fagel wa ...

(1668), Grand Pensionary of Holland,

Lieuwe van Aitzema Lieuwe (Leo) van Aitzema (19 November 1600 – 23 February 1669) was a Dutch historian, diplomat, bon viveur, libertine and spy.Israel, J. (1995) The Dutch Republic. Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477-1806, p. 684, 731-2. He was born at Dokkum, ...

, a famous

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

for England during the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

Second Anglo-Dutch War The Second Anglo-Dutch War or the Second Dutch War (4 March 1665 – 31 July 1667; nl, Tweede Engelse Oorlog "Second English War") was a conflict between Kingdom of England, England and the Dutch Republic partly for control over the seas a ...

(buried in 1669), field marshal René de Cordeux, Marquess of Langey, a grandson of

Louise de Coligny Louise de Coligny (23 September 1555 – 9 November 1620) was a Princess consort of Orange as the fourth and last spouse of William the Silent. She was the daughter of Gaspard II de Coligny and Charlotte de Laval. Biography Louise was born at C ...

(1712),

, architect (1752), Countess Anna Isabella of Nassau-LaLecq (1765), Count

Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer Unico Wilhelm, Count van Wassenaer Obdam (30 October 1692 – 9 November 1766) was a Dutch nobleman who was a diplomat as well as a composer. He reorganized the Bailiwick of Utrecht of the Teutonic Order. His most important surviving compositions a ...

, diplomat and composer (1766), and Hieronymus van Alphen, poet (1803). Interieur, overzicht van de westgevel met het orgel - 's-Gravenhage - 20384853 - RCE.jpg, Main entrance with the organ by

Metzler Orgelbau Metzler Orgelbau, a firm of organ builders founded in 1890 and based since 1933 in Dietikon, near Zurich in Switzerland, is one of the most important makers of the European classical organ revival and has built many important and respected instru ...

WLM - roel1943 - Automatisch carillon Haagsetoren.jpg, Carillon WLM - roel1943 - Grote of Sint Jacobskerk.jpg, Painted wooden ceiling and bottom of chandelier Den Haag Grote Kerk Sint Jacob Innen Grabmal Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam 7.jpg, Monument for Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam by

Bartholomeus Eggers Bartholomeus Eggers (c. 1637Bartholomeus Eggers
at the

INTERIEUR, OVERZICHT GRAFMONUMENT VAN GERRIT VAN ASSENDELFT - 's-Gravenhage - 20262344 - RCE.jpg, Tomb of Gerrit van Assendelft Den Haag; Grote- of St-Jacobskerk nb.jpg, Tomb of Philip of Hesse-Philippsthal

Church function

The church is formally owned by the City of The Hague and is managed by the "Stichting Grote Kerk Den Haag", which conducts restoration activities and rents it for concerts, but also facilitates various cultural initiatives of the city.

References

External links

* Bell towers in the Netherlands Carillons Churches in The Hague Rijksmonuments in The Hague Towers in The Hague Protestant churches converted from Roman Catholicism Protestant churches in the Netherlands {{Tallest buildings in the Netherlands