The Joriskerk (Joris Church)

The Joriskerk is a Protestant church located in the town of Borculo, Netherlands. It was built in the 12th century and is one of the oldest churches in the Netherlands. The church has undergone several renovations and restorations over the centuries.

The church features a Romanesque-style architecture with a rectangular shape and a gabled roof. The exterior walls are made of stone, while the interior features a wooden ceiling. The church is known for its distinctive tower, which dates back to the 13th century.

The Joriskerk features several notable architectural elements:

• 1. Tower: The tower is one of the most prominent features of the church and is decorated with intricate stone carvings.
• 2. Windows: The church has large stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the Bible.
• 3. Pulpit: The pulpit is an ornate wooden structure that dates back to the 17th century.
• 4. Altar: The altar features a beautifully carved stone reredos (back wall).

The Joriskerk was built in the 16th century as a church for the nearby Hof, later becoming a Roman Catholic parochial church with Saint Joris as its patron saint, and after the Reformation in 1616 it continued as a Protestant church.

The late Gothic church has a small archivolt at the entrance, above which is a large embedded pointed-arch window in the bell tower. The tower is topped with a tent roof. The nave has only a northside aisle. The windows, many of which are pointed-arch windows, are glazed with leaded glass.

The building suffered significant damage during the storm surge of 1925 and was subsequently restored. At that time, the nave under the gabled roof was provided with cross-rib vaults. In the choir, glass-in-lead windows were installed designed by Femmy Schilt-Geesink. The organ from the 19th century, built by Ambroos with older pipe work, had survived the disaster unscathed but was replaced in 1928 by a new pneumatic instrument from the firm J. de Koff in Utrecht.

The disposition of the organ is as follows:

1. Manual I: Bourdon 16', Prestant 8', Flute 8', Octave 4', Octave 2', Mixture 2-3 times, Trumpet 8'
2. Manual II (Swell): Oboe 8', Violin 8', Aeoline 8', Celestial Voice 8', Open Flute 4'
3. Pedal: Subbass 16' (transmission)

The church also possesses a choir organ from the firm Blank, with the following disposition:

1. Oboe 8', Prestant 4', Flute 4', Octave 2', Mixture 2-3 times