Tower Grote Kerk - Hindeloopen - the Netherlands
Posted by: eilers1
N 52° 56.585 E 005° 23.915
31U E 661168 N 5868631
The tower of the "Grote Kerk" in Hindeloopen hangs out of plumb, due to construction failures.
Waymark Code: WM151YP
Location: Friesland, Netherlands
Date Posted: 09/29/2021
Views: 7
The tower and church have always been Hindeloopen's concerns. In 1570 the church was destroyed by exiles from West Friesland. It was not until twenty years later that the house of worship was rebuilt. The new church did not last long, because it soon became too small. It was demolished and a new church building was built on the foundations in 1632.
The south aisle was added a quarter of a century later, but was demolished in 1892 due to dilapidation. There was also no need for a second beech, because the population had already dwindled. The 49 meter high Westertoren was fitted with bells in 1683, which were cast in Leeuwarden.
In October 1701, the tower was struck by lightning during a church service. The top three aisles had to be demolished to prevent them from falling onto the church. It was not until 1734 that there was enough money to restore the tower. During World War II, the bells were removed.
In the 1970s, the tower was 'jacked up' a bit during the restoration because it hung 1.20 meters from the plumb. It still seems that the tower has a tendency to fall on the church.
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