The Aa-kerk (also: A-kerk) is a historic former parish church in the centre of
Groningen
Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
, and a dominant feature in the skyline of the city together with the nearby
Martinitoren.
History
Before the construction of the current church, a chapel dedicated to
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
and
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Dem ...
(patron saint of fishermen) stood on this site. The chapel was situated close to the river Aa, where
bargee
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels. ...
s cast off vessels in the western harbour (
Westerhaven).
The chapel became a parish church in the year 1247 and was named "Chapel of Our Lady at the river Aa" (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe ter Aa-kerk). At this time, Groningen consisted of two centres, each surrounding a religious edifice, the Church of Our Lady at the river Aa being one of them. Fishermen and tradesmen inhabited the area around this chapel.
The chapel was transformed into a brick gothic church between 1425 and 1495. Both the interior and exterior have been altered many times over the course of history due to the iconoclasm during the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
, war damage (
Siege of Groningen) and natural phenomena (lightning strike).
Today it is used as a venue for concerts, theatre, exhibitions, parties and meetings. Church services are no longer held.
Towers
Images of the
Siege of Groningen in 1672 show the Aa-kerk without the top of the tower. After the war a new wooden tower top was built.
On 23 April 1710, the tower spontaneously collapsed killing two people. In 1711, a new tower was built.
The current tower contains three bells with the notes of
F#,
D# and
B, which are rung manually, using ropes. They were all cast by Crans of
Enckhuysen in 1714.
Organs
In 1667, an organ was built by
Van Hagerbeer. It was destroyed by fire in 1671.
The first Schnitger organ in the church was built by
Arp Schnitger
Arp Schnitger (2 July 164828 July 1719 (buried)) was an influential Northern German organ builder. Considered the most paramount manufacturer of his time, Schnitger built or rebuilt over 150 organs. He was primarily active in Northern Europe, es ...
in 1697 (see gallery for a sketch). In 1710, the tower of the church collapsed and the organ was destroyed.
The
second Schnitger was built in 1702, originally for the
Broerkerk
The Broerkerk in Groningen, The Netherlands was a Medieval church connected to the Franciscan cloister in Groningen. The church was situated in the Broerstraat in Groningen. The Broerkerk was the first church in the town used by the Protestants.
...
in Groningen. In 1815, the organ was transferred to the Aa-kerk.
The Bolsward organ build by
Raphael Rodensteen in 1550 was originally for the
Martinikerk in
Bolsward
Bolsward (, West Frisian: ''Boalsert'') is a city in Súdwest-Fryslân in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. Bolsward has a population of just under 10,200. It is located 10 km W.N.W. of Sneek.
History
The town is founded o ...
. In 1635, the organ was transferred to the Broerkerk in Groningen and in 1877 it was transferred back to the Martinikerk in Bolsward. In 1991, it was transferred again to Groningen and the Aa-kerk.
Photo gallery.
File:Groningen (stad), Der Aa-kerk in Groningen. 13-06-2022. (actm.) 01.jpg, Entrance to the church through the tower. (West side).
File:Groningen (stad), Der Aa-kerk in Groningen. 13-06-2022. (actm.) 04.jpg, Entrance to the church. (Northside)
File:Groningen (stad), Der Aa-kerk in Groningen. 13-06-2022. (actm.) 08.jpg, View of the tower. (from the East)
File:Groningen (stad), Der Aa-kerk in Groningen. 13-06-2022. (actm.) 06.jpg, Brick buttress. (Northwest side)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aa-Kerk
Buildings and structures in Groningen (city)
Churches in Groningen (province)
Rijksmonuments in Groningen (province)