The Pieterskerk is a late-

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

Dutch Protestant The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...

church in Leiden dedicated to Saint Peter. It is known today as the church of the Pilgrim Fathers, where the pastor

John Robinson John Robinson may refer to: Academics *John Thomas Romney Robinson (1792–1882), Irish astronomer and physicist * John J. Robinson (1918–1996), historian and author of ''Born in Blood'' *John Talbot Robinson (1923–2001), paleontologist *John ...

was buried. It is also the burial place of the scientist

Willebrord Snellius Willebrord Snellius (born Willebrord Snel van Royen) (13 June 158030 October 1626) was a Dutch astronomer and mathematician, Snell. His name is usually associated with the law of refraction of light known as Snell's law. The lunar crater Sn ...

History

In around 1100 the site held the county chapel of the counts of Holland, rebuilt in 1121. The present building took approximately 180 years to build, starting in 1390. Famous Leiden dignitaries are buried there, including the painter Jan Steen and the Leiden professor Herman Boerhaave. The beautiful stained-glass windows already took a terrible blow during the Beeldenstorm, but were completely destroyed a couple of centuries later, in the gunpowder explosion of 12 January 1807. The windows were boarded up, and it wasn't until 1880 that a large-scale restoration took place. The ''Pieterskerk'' used to have a church tower, the ''Westtoren'' (west tower) from 1290 on. It was nicknamed "Coningh der Zee" (king of the sea), and was completed in stages, eventually reaching 110 metres (including the 35-metre-tall wooden spire). It collapsed in the night of 5 March 1512. The tower was not restored and the church remains towerless. Not only the stained glass windows were vandalised during the Beeldenstorm, many other beautiful statues and paintings were made victim of the Reformation. The internationally renowned painting Het Laatste Oordeel by

Lucas van Leyden Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), also named either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very ac ...

was barely saved by mayor Van Swanenburg. On 7 July 1572 the church was closed for services. It reopened on 5 October of the same year for the first Protestant service. After this date the building of the church can be considered completed. In following centuries small homes were built against the sides of the church. They are still there today. The building was deconsecrated in 1971 and since 1975 has been managed by a foundation and rented for a wide variety of events. Since 2001, with 50% government funding, a long-term restoration project started that ran until 2010. Discoveries made during this and earlier restorations were put on permanent display in the church. A mummy is also on display, that the foundation has chosen not to subject to scientific scrutiny. Though the windows have been lost, the various grave monuments by prominent Leiden sculptors can still be seen. The building is open to the public. In 2007 there was a famous concert by the choral group '' Libera.Concert in Leiden-2007
''Adoramus''''Going home''''Far away''''Evening Prayer'' (Hansel and Gretel)''Libera''''Sanctus''

''Salva Me''''Lacrymosa''
(solo Ben Philipp)
''Abide with Me''''I vow to Thee my country''''Stay with Me''''Do not Stand at my Grave and Weep''''I Am the day''
/
''Ave Maria''''Always with You''
(solo Tom Cully). Libera Official, 2011, 2013 and 2016.

Burials

Before 1811 many prominent people were buried in the Pieterskerk, such as the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius (known for

Arminianism Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Re ...

), Herman Boerhaave, Jan Steen, the botanist Rembert Dodoens, Johannes de Laet, and

, pastor of the " Pilgrim Fathers". For a listing, see the category Burials at the Pieterskerk, Leiden.

Gallery

File:quirepieterskerkleiden.jpg, The Pieterskerk from a side street. File:vaultspieterskerkleiden.jpg, The vaulted ceiling. File:VanHagerbeerLeiden.jpg, Van Hagerbeer organ (1643) File:Thomas Hill orgel.tif, Thomas Hill Organ (1883) File:John Robinson plaque (Leiden).jpg, Historical marker to the memory of Pastor John Robinson near where he is buried.

References

External links

Church website
{{Coord, 52, 9, 27, N, 4, 29, 16, E, type:landmark_region:NL_source:nlwiki, display=title Rijksmonuments in Leiden Churches in Leiden Gothic architecture in the Netherlands Puritanism