De Kerk

In the early 1930s this church was built at the outskirts of a Dutch city. It suffered heavy damage due to Allied bombings in World War Two, but was restored and in use until the early 2000s. In the early 1990s the spire was removed as it was said to be a danger for the nearby houses during storms, although the local residents themselves demonstrated against the removal. They even fundraised money for a new spire but the diocese refused the money and turned down the idea. They admitted that they had plans to close the church, although the community was still very lively at the time.

In the early 2000s, despite heavy protests by local residents and parishioners, the church was definitely closed. Plans were made to demolish it and build appartments on the grounds, but due to more resistance from the local residents it never happened. Since a member of the church government decided to have all the valuable materials removed, including the copper rain gutters, the church is suffering severe water damage. The latest plans are to restore the front of the church and attach a new building to it. 

Derelict buildings are a rarity in Holland, and this one even got the chance to decay! It’s also vandalised quite a bit in the last few years but I still really enjoyed exploring this place.