Delft's New Church

The New Church is the second parish church of Delft, also Dutch Reformed, proudly standing over the town from its prominent position in the Markt. The construction of Nieuwe Kerk began in 1383 and took 100 years to complete. With its Late Gothic lines, today the stone tower (dating from 1875) houses a carillon with chimes played on request by the town bell ringer, especially for brides marrying at the Town Hall. The statue in front is of Hugo Grotius (Hugo the Great), a legal scholar and writer of maritime law.

The church was devastated by the 1536 fire and then ransacked, of course, by iconoclasts in the 1560s. After a nearby gun-powder depot exploded and ruined its windows in 1654, the church was rebuilt giving it the look we see today. The chandeliers, produced in 1981 in traditional 17th century style, marked the church's 600th birthday.

Inside are buried the beloved Dutch ruler William I of Orange (1614-1622)--considered the father of the Netherlands--and Dutch royalty who succeeded him. William's ornate tomb--a canopied monument to his greatness--dominates the choir area. There are two representations of William: one of white marble, reclining peacefully; and a strong, armored king in bronze, sitting royally. A dog at his feet symbolizes loyalty and the angel of Fame above the dog blows a trumpet. The female statues at the corners of his monument represent Liberty, Justice, Religion, and Fortitude.

A few paces in front of William's monument is a large stone slab marking the entrance to a sprawling underground labyrinth which holds the tombs of most of William I's descendants--another 45 tombs at this time.

The royal family considers the burial vaults or mausoleum as their private domain. Delft's Lord-Mayor is the official keeper of the keys and administrator of the complex, which is not open to the public. Note the huge rings on the corners of the heavy slab, allowing access to the vault.



Over the years, the vault has been extended a few times--the most recent in 1922 when Queen Wilhelmina made the decision to built a wider entrance with staircases and a vestibule. The former entrance to the extended old vault then became the service entry. This large replica of the underground area sits inside the church and was a popular place for visitors when we were there. Unfortunately, Q was waiting outside for us to conclude our tour with her so I didn't get a chance to study this like I typically would.