The Buurkerk is a former church building in Utrecht (city), Netherlands on the Buurkerkhof. The building is the location of the Museum Speelklok, and the entrance is on the Steenweg. It is one of the medieval parish churches of Utrecht, along with the

Jacobikerk The Jacobikerk is a landmark Protestant church in Utrecht, Netherlands. The building is located on the St Jacobsstraat, named for its patron saint St. James the Greater. The church is one of the medieval parish churches of Utrecht, along with the ...

, the Nicolaïkerk and the Geertekerk.

History

The building is documented as being burned in 1131, 1173, 1253 and 1279. The tower dates from 1370, but was never finished.Museum website In 1577 a cannon was installed in the church tower, aimed at the

Vredenburg castle Vredenburg Castle (Dutch: ''(Kasteel) Vredenburg'' or ''Vredeborch'') was a 16th-century castle built by Habsburg emperor Charles V in the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Some remains of the castle, which stood for only 50 years, are still v ...

where the Charles V's Spanish soldiers there were under siege by the Utrecht schutters. Around 1580 the church endured the protestant reformation and in 1586 it was formally handed over to the protestants, who whitewashed the wall decorations and removed the choir to make room for a street. The Choorstraat which is named after the deconstructed choir still has the outlines of the old choir in the pavement. In 1975 the church fell into religious disuse. The building functions as a museum since 1984.

Etymology

The name ''Buurkerk'' is made up of the words ''buur'' (neighbour) and ''kerk'' (church). In the 10th century, after the winding down of a tumultuous period of hostile Viking raids, trade in the Low Lands became more safe and thus more profitable. Cities such as Utrecht were able to thrive starting in the 10th century. The flourishing economic activity resulted in a wealthier and larger population. The newly built church building was located in what was then the city centre. The town hall, street markets, and the court house were all located in a dense area to the west of the ''Buurkerk''. Prominent citizens, politicians, and guild members would gather on the square to the west of the church for general business and matters of governance. The 'neighbour church' became a physical symbol for social, economic, and political development. Eventually a small ''raadskapel'' (council chapel) was built as part of the church's structure for more formal meetings.

Burials

The church is the burial place of various notable Utrechters such as the 17th-century painters Joachim Wtewael, Paulus Moreelse, Hendrick ter Brugghen, Dirck van Baburen, Jan Both and

Herman Saftleven Herman Saftleven the Younger (1609 - 5 January 1685 (buried)), was a Dutch painter of the Baroque period. Biography Born in Rotterdam, Saftleven lived most of his life (1632–1685) in Utrecht. His brothers, Cornelis Saftleven (1607–1681) ...

. Their graves are no longer marked however. File:Memorietafel Smedegilde Buurkerk Utrecht.jpg, Plaque in memory of the Smith's guild near the entrance File:Buurkerk vanaf de Dom.JPG, View of the Buurkerk from the Dom Tower of Utrecht

References

External links

Website Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement
(Dutch only)
Dutch TV film clip
of the "bread table", once used for weekly bread distribution for the poor {{coord, 52, 05, 26, N, 5, 07, 9, E, region:NL_source:kolossus-nlwiki, display=title Churches in Utrecht (city) Rijksmonuments in Utrecht (city)