Rotterdam Cathedral
Coordinates: 51 ° 54 ′ 51 ″ N , 4 ° 27 ′ 27 ″ E
The Rotterdam Cathedral ( Dutch HH. Laurentius- en Elisabethkathedraal ) is a Roman Catholic church in the Dutch city of Rotterdam . The neo-Romanesque basilica , built in the first quarter of the 20th century, has been the cathedral of the diocese of Rotterdam since 1968 .
History and architecture
The Elisabeth parish in Rotterdam was founded in 1904 because the city expanded and the population increased. Due to the large number of Catholics and the high number of church attendants during this period, there was a need for a correspondingly large church that could accommodate at least 1,000 people.
In April 1904, municipal land was purchased for around 85,000 guilders , and in September the land was transferred to the parish. Initially, only a wooden church was to be built, which was not allowed by the council. In December 1904 the church council and building commission met to appoint an architect. The decision was made in favor of PG Buskens, who had never designed a church before. In September 1906, his design for the church was approved. On April 23, 1907, the dean of Rotterdam laid the foundation stone. This black stone can still be seen on the corner of the church.
The church was built in two phases according to the design of the architect Buskens, who was inspired, among other things, by the Wartburg in Thuringia. The facade therefore has the appearance of a heavy fortress. The church was built in honor of St. Elisabeth of Thuringia , who lived on the Wartburg in the 13th century. In the first period from 1906 to 1908 the choir , the nave and the transept were built. The new church was consecrated on May 1, 1908. Due to the First World War , the further expansion of the church was delayed. In the second phase between 1920 and 1922, the two front towers were built.
In an air raid on the nearby security service building on November 29, 1944, a side aisle of the cathedral was badly damaged and had to be repaired after the Second World War .
The Diocese of Rotterdam was not established until 1956. The St. Ignatius Church was initially elevated to the status of a cathedral. This was renamed after the patron saint of the city of Rotterdam, Laurentius von Rom , after whom the medieval Laurenskerk in Rotterdam is also called. On March 16, 1968, the bishopric was moved to the St. Elisabeth Church and the Laurentius patronage was transferred to it.
organ
The organ dates in parts from 1923, built by the Vereenigde Kerkorgelfabrieken JJ Elbertse (Aalten). In the following years, minor changes were made. 1997–1998 the organ was extensively rebuilt, a manual was added and the layout changed and expanded as a whole.
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See: List of organ registers for the individual names
Web links
- Cathedral website (Dutch)