{"id":142069,"date":"2021-08-26T15:18:12","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T13:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oudaalten.nl\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/st-georges-church-bredevoort\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T19:17:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:17:44","slug":"st-georges-church-bredevoort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldaalten.nl\/en\/bredevoort\/st-georges-church-bredevoort\/","title":{"rendered":"St George’s Church, Bredevoort"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Markt 3, Bredevoort<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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The Sint-Joriskerk (Saint George’s Church) is a late-Gothic church in Bredevoort, the foundations of which date back to 1316. The church is dedicated to Saint George<\/a>, the patron saint of the borgmannen (castellans) of Bredevoort. A characteristic feature is the tower’s finial: a statue of Saint George and the Dragon instead of a traditional weathercock. On the east side of the church, there is a so-called ‘melaatsenraampje'(leper window). In earlier times, worshippers with contagious diseases used this window to follow the mass. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

De oudste fundamenten van de kerk stammen uit 1316, en mogelijk diende het gebouw in haar vroegste jaren als kapel op het kasteel van Bredevoort<\/a>. Tijdens het Beleg van Bredevoort<\/a> in 1597 door Prins Maurits is de oude (en grotere) kerk volledig afgebrand en zijn de gewelven ingestort. Het jaar erop richtten de Bredevoorters een verzoek aan de classis Zutphen om weer een nieuwe kerk te bouwen: \u201cDie van Bredeforts soln met request an desen quartier verzoekcken assistentie tott reaparatie hearder Kapellene\u201d<\/em>. In 1599 begon men met de herbouw in gotische stijl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expansions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Following the reconstruction, the church underwent various expansions. In 1600, after another fire, a tower was added. In 1639, the chapel was enlarged and broken out on the north side. Using the same stones, the wall was rebuilt several metres further out. Later expansions followed in the form of the boerenzolder (farmers’ loft) and the orgelzolder (organ loft). This extension, including the loft, is clearly visible. Biblical proverbs are inscribed in the beams of the farmers’ loft, such as: “Salich zijn se die rein van herte zin want sij zullen Godt zien”<\/em> (Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Powder Tower Disaster of 1646<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Op 12 juli 1646 sloeg de bliksem in de kruittoren<\/a> van het kasteel. De ontploffing die volgde verwoestte een groot deel van de stad. Veertig mensen kwamen om. Het kasteel was in een ru\u00efne veranderd en ook de kerk liep aanzienlijke schade op. Elf slachtoffers, waaronder de drost van Bredevoort en zijn vrouw en acht van hun kinderen, werden in het koor (het oostelijk gedeelte van de kerk) begraven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The church was rebuilt, though smaller than its predecessor. In 1672, Captain Satink donated a Rococo pulpit featuring his family coat of arms, as well as a copper lectern bearing the arms of the Holy Roman Empire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renovations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

De kerk heeft door de eeuwen heen verschillende renovaties ondergaan. In de Franse tijd<\/a> werden onder andere een houten gewelf en een vloer van Bentheimer steen toegevoegd. Ook kreeg de kerk toen nieuwe banken en werd de vloer opgehoogd. In 1832 werden de kerkbanken wit geschilderd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1849, the wooden plank ceiling was replaced with a lime ceiling. In 1858, a catechism room was added, for which King William III donated 200 guilders. The walls of the church were re-plastered in 1868, and this plaster layer was removed again during the restoration of 1949. In 1869, the tower was repaired. In 1882, five stained-glass windows were replaced by cast-iron ones. Three years later, two more cast-iron examples were installed in the farmers’ loft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1889, the catechism room was extended with an annex. During a thorough renovation in 1896, the fa\u00e7ade received new doors, a rose window, two small gable windows, and an iron cross. The commemorative stone is now placed on the inside of the wall of the organ loft. In 1920, the spire was renewed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post-War Restorations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After the Second World War, the church was in poor condition. Following a large-scale restoration, the church was put back into use in 1967. During a restoration in 2006, the subsided gravestones and the natural stone floor were repaired. It was discovered that a number of the stones had been laid upside down, likely during the French period; these have since been properly repositioned. During the work, several historical finds were made, including coins, human remains, and stained glass. Furthermore, a stone from the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was found. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research revealed that two of the stones that had been laid upside down belonged to the Bredevoort Drost, Wilhelm van Haersolte<\/a>, and his family. They perished along with almost all their children during the powder tower disaster of 1646. Only their son, Anthony, had survived the disaster. In 2010, his descendants donated 3,000 euros to the restoration committee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bells and Clock<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

De Sint-Joriskerk herbergt drie klokken. De oudste, een monumentale klepklok<\/strong> uit 1454, werd in 1596 geleend van het klooster Schaer<\/a>. Na de vernietiging van het klooster, tijdens de belegering van 1597, is deze klok altijd blijven hangen. Wilhelm van Haersolte tot Elsen schonk de brandklok<\/strong>, gegoten in 1644. De luidklok<\/strong> dateert van 1731 en wordt volgens oude traditie dagelijks om 8.00 uur, 12.00 uur en 21.00 geluid. De stadspoorten werden vroeger om 8.00 uur geopend en om 21.00 uur gesloten. Etenstijd was om 12.00 uur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1942 kreeg de kerk een nieuw uurwerk<\/strong>. Het oude uurwerk uit 1666<\/a> is binnenkort weer te bezichtigen in de Sint-Joriskerk. In 1980 werd het kleine carillon van drie klokjes herplaatst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Owners<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Overview is incomplete.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Year<\/th>Plot<\/th>Owner<\/th>Description<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1832<\/td>B-80<\/td>de Hervormde Kerk Bredevoord<\/td>280 m\u00b2 church<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Features<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Cadastral no.<\/td>B-1199<\/td><\/tr>
Function<\/td>Church<\/td><\/tr>
Year of construction<\/td>14th\/17th century<\/td><\/tr>
Monument<\/td>National Monument<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sources<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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