Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder
Amsterdam - Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder by Remi Mathis/Wiki Commons
What would you do if you were a deeply devoted Catholic in 17th-century Amsterdam, where public worship was illegal for Catholics while the Dutch Reformed Church ruled in both religion and State? Many Catholics were faced with this same persecution in the 1600’s, and chose to worship in secret. Clandestine churches, or schuilkerk, were set up in places not often used for worship in order to not be detected.
One such secret meeting place was held in the Canal House, where the uppermost three levels of the residence were converted into an ornate chapel. Named Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder, or Our Lord in the Attic, this Church was fully equipped as a chapel, complete with balconies and a confessional. By 1888, it was no longer needed as a private meeting house and was opened to the public as a museum. It has been remarkably well preserved due to its religious and historical significance.
One such secret meeting place was held in the Canal House, where the uppermost three levels of the residence were converted into an ornate chapel. Named Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder, or Our Lord in the Attic, this Church was fully equipped as a chapel, complete with balconies and a confessional. By 1888, it was no longer needed as a private meeting house and was opened to the public as a museum. It has been remarkably well preserved due to its religious and historical significance.
