Basilica of Saint John the Baptist (Oosterhout)
The Basilica of St. John the Baptist or St. John's Basilica ( Dutch Basiliek Sint-Jan-de-Doper ) is the main Roman Catholic church of Oosterhout , Noord-Brabant , in the diocese of Breda . The church bears the title of a minor basilica and is protected as a Rijksmonument .
Building history
From excavations it is known that a Romanesque church was built on the site of today's church as early as around the year 1000 , the community is documented from 1277. Around 1473, the construction of a larger church in Gothic style began here, which was completed in 1493. The subsequent tower construction lasted from 1519 to 1552. This was inspired by the tower of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in Breda , but was never completed and only ended with a cap. The church was seriously affected by the iconoclasm in 1566. During the Eighty Years' War the church tower served as an observation tower for the Spanish siege of Breda in 1625. Friedrich Heinrich's troops then set fire to the church. The restoration lasted from 1628 to 1636. Some of the old, broken stone vaults were replaced with flat wooden ceilings.
Protestantism and Restitution
Although the vast majority of Oosterhout's population remained Catholic during the Eighty Years' War , St. John's Church fell into Protestant hands after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. It was not until 1809 that the church, which had also been used by the army depot after 1795, was returned to the Catholic Church by a decision by Louis Bonaparte . In return, the Catholics had to give 7,000 guilders as a contribution to a new Protestant church building in the Rulstraat. The church tower remained the property of the city until 1910.
Restorations
In the years 1817 to 1821 the church was given a classic interior again. From 1881 to 1883 it was thoroughly restored and rebuilt by the architect Pierre Cuypers . The vaults were restored and the church was extended by two naves. During the extensive restorations from 1974 to 1977, the painting was restored to its original state, new church windows were also installed according to old drawings and an additional choir organ from the Verschueren Orgelbouw company was installed.
Furnishing
The main organ was built in 1890 by Michael Maarschalkerweerd. The tower has a carillon with 49 bells, including the Johannes from 1763. In 1921 a statue of Christ by Dom Bellot was placed next to the tower.
Elevation to the basilica
On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the community and the completion of the renovation, the church was opened in 1977 by Pope Paul VI. raised to the minor basilica.
Web links
- Parish homepage (Dutch).
- Information about the church and organ. In: brabantorgel.nl (Dutch).
Individual evidence
- ^ Basiliek van de Sint-Jan-de-Doper on gcatholic.org
- ^ RK Kerk van St. Jan on monument register
Coordinates: 51 ° 38 ′ 42 " N , 4 ° 51 ′ 40" E