The Dorpskerk

The "Dorpskerk" (Village Church) is a Protestant church located in Zuidlaren, a small town in the province of Drenthe, Netherlands.

• The current church building dates back to 1858, when it was constructed as a replacement for an earlier wooden church that had stood on the same site since the 14th century.

The Dorpskerk has a rectangular shape with a gabled roof, measuring approximately 45 meters (148 feet) long and 20 meters (66 feet) wide.

1. The façade is characterized by pointed arches and ribbed vaults, while the interior features a large nave with wooden pews and a chancel at the eastern end.

The church has played an important role in the spiritual and social life of the community. It has been the site of numerous baptisms, weddings, and funerals over the centuries.

• Today, it is still an active place of worship for the local Protestant congregation.

History

De Dorpskerk is a one-aisled church located at Kerkbrink in Zuidlaren. The oldest part of the Mariakerk, the ship, was built in the 13th century.

1. Around 1300, the tower was built, which was further elevated in the 15th century.
2. The church is dedicated on October 7, 1267, St. Marcellusday, by Bishop Magnus de Grote from Regensburg.

The three-sided closed Gothic choir dates from the 15th century. In that period, the old Romanesque choir was demolished and the ship was extended.

• During the Eighty Years' War, the church was damaged.
• After this war, the damage was restored.
• Later restorations took place in 1674 and from 1972 to 1974.

In the church, there are gentlemen's benches of the families Van Selbach, De Drews, and Van Heiden.

• In the church, a memorial coat of arms hangs of Alexander Carel van Heiden, the drost of Drenthe who passed away in 1776, resident at the nearby estate Laarwoud.

The organ was placed in the church in 1859 by organ builder Petrus van Oeckelen. This organ originated from the church of Beusichem and was built by Abraham Meere and expanded by A.A. Kuerten.

Art and Architecture

• The pulpit was made in 1675 by Dirck Jans Bijmolt.

Both the church and tower were registered as national monuments in the monument register in 1965.