Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder
Encyclopedia
Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic) is a 17th century canal house
, house church
, and museum
in the city center of Amsterdam
, Netherlands
. The Catholic Church was built on the top three floors of the canal house during the 1660s. It is an important example of a schuilkerk, or "clandestine church," in which Catholics and other religious dissenters from the seventeenth century Dutch Reformed Church, unable to worship in public, held services. Since 28 April 1888, the church is open as a museum, and has annually 85,000 visitors.
on the 14th century canal
Oudezijds Voorburgwal, currently on number 40, was built in 1630. Between 1661 and 1663 the top three floors of the house were changed into a house church
. The building was renovated in the 18th and 19th century.
The museum contains the front room, the between room, the hall, the church, the Lady chapel, the confessional, the Jaap Leeuwenberg hall, and the 17th-century kitchen.
Canal house
A canal house is a house overseeing a canal. These houses are often slim, high and deep. Because of the danger of flooding the front door is sometimes higher up and only reachable via stairs. The floor of the main storey lies about seven to nine steps above street level...
, house church
Schuilkerk
A clandestine church , defined by historian Benjamin J. Kaplan as a "semi-clandestine church", is a house of worship used by religious minorities whose communal worship is tolerated by those of the majority faith on condition that it is discreet and not conducted in public spaces...
, and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in the city center of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The Catholic Church was built on the top three floors of the canal house during the 1660s. It is an important example of a schuilkerk, or "clandestine church," in which Catholics and other religious dissenters from the seventeenth century Dutch Reformed Church, unable to worship in public, held services. Since 28 April 1888, the church is open as a museum, and has annually 85,000 visitors.
Canal house
The canal houseCanal house
A canal house is a house overseeing a canal. These houses are often slim, high and deep. Because of the danger of flooding the front door is sometimes higher up and only reachable via stairs. The floor of the main storey lies about seven to nine steps above street level...
on the 14th century canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
Oudezijds Voorburgwal, currently on number 40, was built in 1630. Between 1661 and 1663 the top three floors of the house were changed into a house church
Schuilkerk
A clandestine church , defined by historian Benjamin J. Kaplan as a "semi-clandestine church", is a house of worship used by religious minorities whose communal worship is tolerated by those of the majority faith on condition that it is discreet and not conducted in public spaces...
. The building was renovated in the 18th and 19th century.
Museum
After the Church of St Nicholas was opened, the house church was no longer in use as a church. On 28 April 1888 it opened its doors for the public as a museum, making it the oldest museum in Amsterdam, after Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. The museum was previously named Roomsch Katholiek Museum (English: Roman Catholic Museum) and is now called Museum Amstelkring (English: Museum Amstel Circle). Annually, 85,000 people visit the museum.The museum contains the front room, the between room, the hall, the church, the Lady chapel, the confessional, the Jaap Leeuwenberg hall, and the 17th-century kitchen.