Repurposed church buildings and its changing public perception through the course of history in the Netherlands

Abstract

The church is seen as a symbol, abearer of faith, art and culture, in a world that is increasingly globalized.Church buildings are like anchors in time, they tell us who we are and where wecome from. Nevertheless, the number of church visitors is decreasing becausethe number of faith bearers in the Netherlands continues to decline. This meansthat fewer churches are needed which results in more vacant churches in thefuture. A way of preserving church buildings is repurposing. In theNetherlands, 1500 church buildings have already been transformed into newfunctions and differ from apartments to supermarkets. But how does the publicperceive these buildings, and how does it differ from the past? Do theserepurposed church buildings contribute to the preservation of the history ofthe Netherlands? This will be investigated on the basis of the followingresearch question: “What is the value of repurposedchurch buildings through the course of history in the Netherlands?” This question is answered by dividing the research into three chapters, starting with the historical context of religionand church buildings in the Netherlands. The historical context of churchbuildings in the Netherlands was first mapped out by means of variousliterature studies. It can be said that throughout history, there have beenmultiple periods of change in the importance of faith and thus church buildingsin the Netherlands. The so to say all-time low of this notion was during thede-pillarization period in which the Netherlands became one of the most secularcountries in the world. In the second chapter, the church buildings that can befound in the Netherlands today are examined. It can be said that the value ofthe church building is still seen as added value in society today. However, itsnotion of value has changed over time. Where the church was first seen as aplace of faith and closed communities, the church is now experienced as a placeof culture and heritage, a place for the community that must be accessible tothe outside world. The historical added value, along with the value as aconnecting element in society, makes the church worth preserving. Repurposinghas been happening in the Netherlands for centuries, but especially since 1970repurposing has played an increasingly important role. When a church isrepurposed, people believe that it should be treated with respect. The peoplealso like it when a public function comes in return. This is often the case,both due to the demand of the community and the urban location make churchesextremely suitable for public functions. Despite this, there is often criticismof the repurposing of churches, just like the church buildings discussed inthis thesis. Initially there is often indignation and opposition. But itappears that in the longer term acceptance is there, it is often a matter ofgetting used to. This has resulted in the fact that these repurposed churchbuildings are increasingly becoming part of the society. The value andperception of church buildings may change over time but the appreciation forthese buildings remain.