Overzicht
The Oosterkerk (East Church) is a former Reformed church in Aalten. It replaced the first ‘Seceded Church’ (Afgescheiden Kerk) from 1844 in 1913 and was expanded several times over the years. The building contains a unique memorial window from 1946, which was gifted in gratitude for the aid Aalten provided during World War II. Today, the building has been repurposed as a residential care facility.
In 1834 scheidde een groep gelovigen zich af van de Nederlands Hervormde Kerk en stichtte de Gereformeerde Kerk. Ook in Aalten ontstond een afgescheiden gemeente. Aanvankelijk kwamen de gereformeerden samen in particuliere woningen. In 1844 bouwden zij hun eigen kerk, de Afgescheiden Kerk, op de plek waar nu de Oosterkerk staat. De eerste predikant was ds. Breukelaar.
Construction and Architecture
Nadat de eerste Oosterkerk te klein was geworden, verrees in 1913 de huidige kerk, naar ontwerp van architect Ane Nauta uit Holwerd. De aannemer was D.J. te Mebel. De bouwkosten, inclusief de afbraak van de oude kerk, bedroegen circa 30.000 gulden. De kerk werd ook wel Kerk A genoemd, terwijl de Westerkerk bekendstond als Kerk B.
An expansion followed in 1931 because the number of seats still proved insufficient. In his design, Nauta drew inspiration from the Neo-Renaissance, with influences from Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
The church features a T-shaped floor plan. The front façade, which has a gabled wall, was given an entrance with its own small gable and a window framework above it. There are several round-arched windows and, in the centre, a triforium with stained glass. Towers stand on both sides of the front façade, the left one being the largest; both are topped with a needle spire. Leadlight windows have been used in all façades.
Memorial Window
In 1946, the Oosterkerk was fitted with an eight-metre-high memorial window, gifted by a committee from the Reformed Church of Kralingen on behalf of the churches and the Jewish community of Rotterdam. The window was an expression of gratitude to the people of Aalten for sheltering and aiding people in hiding (onderduikers), Jewish citizens, those suffering from starvation, and the many children from Rotterdam who were taken in here during the war.
Repurposing
The final church service in the Oosterkerk took place on Sunday, 27 June 2021. The building was subsequently repurposed as the Oosterkerkhuis, housing twenty studio apartments for residents with dementia. The purchase agreement stipulates that the unique memorial window and the organ must be preserved.
Afbeeldingen
