The Sint-Michaëlskerk , also Grote Kerk , is a Protestant church on the Great Market in the Dutch city of Zwolle .
history
Interior view of Michael’s Church with a Renaissance pulpit
A church in Zwolle is mentioned for the first time in 765. A Romanesque church was built around 1200 , which was replaced between 1406 and 1466 by today's three-aisled hall church in the style of the Lower Rhine Gothic . In 1682 the 115–120 meter high tower from the 15th century collapsed after being damaged by lightning strikes in 1548, 1606 and 1669. In 1686 the eight-sided consistory chamber was built at this point .
Grote Kerk Romanesque relief with probably Abraham and Lazarus
organ
Schnitger organ in Zwolle
Due to the collapse of the tower, the old organ was also badly damaged, so the decision was made to build a new one and contact was made with Arp Schnitger , who had already built many organs in the Netherlands and enjoyed the best reputation. Schnitger traveled to Zwolle in the winter of 1718, designed the organ and negotiated the contract that he signed on January 3, 1719. His sons Frans Caspar and Johann Georg started construction in April 1719, whereby pipe material from the previous organ was to be integrated. In 1720 it was decided to add a chest on a fourth manual to the three planned manuals . The organ was completed on September 30, 1721. It had 63 stops , making it one of the largest organs of its time. The organ was painted and gilded by Anthonij Aardewijn in 1723 .
In the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century various alterations and changes were made to the disposition . Between 1953 and 1955 the Flentrop company carried out the first restoration aimed at restoring the original layout and layout. The precious work has been restored in various phases since 2008: first the game and register mechanics, then the wind supply and finally the pipework. The disposition is:
