Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

Built as a Mennonite Church. Small hall church without a tower.

Modern hall church without tower. Replaced an earlier 19th century church.

Small hall church without tower. Replaced adjacent church house. Destroyed by fire in 1983, subsequently restored.

Simple, early 19th century Mennonite Meeting House (date stone 28 June 1828), on a rectangular plan. The building, which shows Gothic elements on the front facade, is constructed of brick; only the front facade is provided with a block-shaped plastering. The wide pointed gable is terminated on both sides by corner pilasters with profiling. In the facade plane two blind niches with trefoil motif and wide round-arched windows with wooden tracery, the latter type of window also used in the side facades. Protruding plastered entrance portal with corner pilasters with sunken fields and crownings; the entrance is set within an arch with trefoil motif. Simple profiled gutter; bar anchors. Furthermore, two stones with inscription, respectively: THE EARTH STONE LAID BY CHOVENSGREVE 28 JUNIJ 1828 and: IMMANUEL Ao 1630. Internally some 19th century furniture consisting of benches, pulpit and small organ on gallery. The site is bordered by a simple iron fence crowned with even profiled points and French lilies.

The Doopsgezinde Kerk (Mennonite Church) was initially built as a clandestine church in 1617. In 1856, the buildings on the Koningsweg that hid the church from view were demolished and the church came into view. In 1854, the church received its current facade with round-arched windows. This facade was designed by CW Bruinvis, city archivist of Alkmaar. It is listed as a National Monument of the Netherlands.

In Kollumerzwaag a Mennonite community was founded between 1600 and 1620. At the beginning of the 19th century this community declined and was threatened with dissolution. Around 1816 the Vermaning was demolished and rebuilt in 1816 in Zwaagwesteinde. There was not a single church there at the time. After the death of Rev. Bosma the community ceased to exist in 1844. The Vermaning was sold and converted into a smithy. Later it became two workers' houses and in 1934 family doctor Noordhof bought the old Vermaning, had it demolished and built his doctor's house on the foundation.

Church building without a tower.

Mennonite Church. Simple hall building according to the facade stone from 1838. Two weather vanes, a ship and a horse.

This church is listed as a National Monument of the Netherlands.

Mennonite church with extensions. The church has a neck gable dated 1857; heavily framed entrance. On either side service buildings under a saddle roof with a shield in front and behind and chimneys above. Six-pane windows. Cast iron fence along the church grounds. Pavement posts of the service buildings. Single manual organ, made in 1881 by Bakker and Timmenga.