Page 31 - LOTN Spring Issue 49 2022

FAITH AND CULTURE

after the Rijksmuseum. In recent times the building next to
it was also purchased and this modern looking frontage is
the entrance to the hidden church, and contains a shop,
café, and interpretation rooms.
The origin of this hidden church is fascinating. The
properties which were to become a church were bought
by a German merchant, Jan Hartman in 1661. Hartman
was born a Catholic in Coesfelt (Westphalia, Germany)
and moved to Amsterdam where he made his fortune in
trade. As a Catholic, he wanted to attend Mass so, with
the knowledge of the city authorities, he purchased two
neighbouring houses in 1661 and set about combining
them. This included cutting through two ceilings to give
height to the church. How the old buildings stood up to
this butchery is amazing. Iron rods cross the main aisle to
hold the side balconies apart. Hartman lived and worked
in the first two floors of the building while the next three
accommodated the church.
The building could not take the weight of real marble
features, so the pillars at either side of the altar are actually
made of wood and painted to look like marble. Space is at
a premium, so the pulpit, also wooden, is very ingeniously
tucked away in one of the “marble” columns. When needed
it folds out, and out, and up, and voilà - a pulpit! The flooring This modern looking frontage continues to guards its secret!
was always rush matting; the current matting was made in
England. The walls are a dusty plum colour. The original the view from the stairs. The stairs are narrow and wooden,
colours were discovered by carefully scraping away each mostly original but with so many visitors, repairs have had
layer of paint, and then the original colours were applied. to be made with new wood here and there.
There are many other rooms in the property. For example, The organ, facing the altar, was made in 1794 by Hendrik
there is the Hartman’s drawing room, very impressive, Meyer. The pews along the two walls were reserved for
where he would welcome his business partners, traders and prominent citizens and were installed around 1750. The
guests. This has also been repainted in the original colours, tiny Lady Chapel has a statue of the Virgin and Child dating
yellow with a hint of orange. The worshipers climbed up from around 1690 and is believed to have been made for
through the house stairway to get to the church, so for this church. There is a lot to see and explore as you clamber
some privacy one of the bedrooms has shutters to close round the narrow passages and stairways.
Catholics were not exactly persecuted in the Netherlands
and were certainly tolerated, providing they did not
offend anyone by showing visible signs of their faith, like
processions or churches. This remarkable hidden church
is worth exploring to understand another chapter of the
difficulties that have faced the faithful over the centuries.

You can find more information about this unique church at
www.opsolder.nl

A bird's-eye view of the church The interior of the hidden church
Page 31