Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

Hall church on an almost rectangular plan, consisting of a partly exposed concrete skeleton, filled with brick. A detached, openwork bell tower and semi-detached baptismal chapel to the side. Front facade with simple narthex. The central nave is covered by a curved concrete shell roof. As a whole, the church is an important example of renewal, also a fairly exceptional early example of modernism in Roman Catholic church architecture from the 1950s. This church is listed as a Municipal Monument of the Netherlands.

Built by Pierre Cuypers (1827 - 1921) while retaining the 15th century tower of the former church, in 1890 this architect clad it, raised it and provided it with a staircase tower. The church consists of a nave of five bays, covered by a pointed wooden barrel vault and a choir with 5/8 closure and brick cross-ribbed vaults. Tower 15th century.

Founded as a temporary church from the Roman Catholic parish of Den Helder. Sober church with roof turret. Never replaced by a permanent church building.

Roman Catholic Church of St. Willibrord. Since the renovation and extension by architect C. Franssen in 1890-99, only some masonry remains of the 15th century church, namely the 3/8 closed choir, the transept and the substructure of the tower. Bell frame with two bells by W. Kaerwas, 1478, diam. 116 and 102 cm respectively. Mechanical tower clock, Van Dorst (Gilze), 1896, electrically wound.

During the Reformation, the Catholics of Ruurlo attended church in Zwillbrock, just across the German border. From 1801, they had a barn church in their own municipality. In 1828, a new, larger church was completed. In its place, the current parish church, dedicated to St. Willibrordus, was built in 1869-1870, based on a design by Dr. Pierre Cuypers (1827 - 1921). The church, like that of Cuypers in neighbouring Kranenburg, was built thanks to a legacy from Baron Van Dorth tot Medler. The church was originally built as a single-nave hall church with a narrowed and straight-closed choir, side-mounted gables, and a front tower. The interior is covered by a wooden barrel vault.

Small neo-Gothic church with tower. On the left is an attached parsonage. It replaced an older church from 1857.

Early churches: The first church, the 15th-century Nicolaaskerk , still exists, but has been in Protestant hands since the Reformation. In the 17th and 18th centuries, masses were celebrated in houses and farms in the area. In 1804, the Catholics of Oldemarkt submitted a request to be allowed to build a church in the village, but it was not until 1828-1829 that this plan could be realised. This church, which stood on the site of the current one, was initially dedicated to St. Nicholas (according to Van der Aa in 1846) and only later in the 19th century to St. Willibrord. After it separated from Steggerda and Steenwijkerwold, Oldemarkt became an independent station in 1825 (according to Voets; Leeuwenberg mentions a deed of foundation from 1850). This church is listed as a National Monument of the Netherlands.

Three-aisled neo-Romanesque cruciform basilica with west tower. Typical of C. Franssen's oeuvre, in this case built under slight influence of late Romanesque architecture in the German Rhineland. The interior has plastered rib vaults. Some stained glass windows in the left wall of the nave are (presumably) from the previous church. The church was expanded in 1935 with two side aisles by J. Franssen.

Roman Catholic St. Willibrordus Church in Oude Pekela. Replaced an earlier barn church from 1783. Important, iconic church with a high tower. Particularly in terms of interior, with the monumental decoration and inventory from the Mengelberg studio in Utrecht, richly detailed neo-Gothic church. Typical and characteristic work in the oeuvre of N. Molenaar (1850-1930), pupil of Pierre Cuypers (1827 - 1921). Restoration 1988. Still in use as Roman Catholic parish church. This church (1895, N.Molenaar) has been restored and has (also) been given a multicultural purpose. This church is listed as a National Monument of the Netherlands.

1500 Construction of a new choir and the current tower begins, 1542 Construction of the tower interrupted by the raid of Maarten van Rossum., 1648 Church taken into use by Protestants (Catholics use a barn church), 1820 Church returned to Catholics and restored, 1909 Church demolished except for the old tower