Walloon Church, Amsterdam

English Walloon Church, Amsterdam

The Walloon Church (Dutch: Waalse Kerk; French: Église Wallonne) is a Protestant church building in Amsterdam, along the southern stretch of the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal. The building dates to the late 15th century and has been in use as Walloon church since 1586. Every Sunday at 11 a.m. church services are held here in French. The church is also used for concerts and music recordings. It is known for its excellent acoustics. The building has held rijksmonument status since 1970.The painter Bartholomeus van der Helst (1613-1670) and the scientist Jan Swammerdam (1637-1680) are interred in the church. Elizabeth Timothy (1702-1757), the first female American newspaper editor and publisher, was most likely christened there. The painter Vincent van Gogh visited the church regularly in the 1870s to attend sermons delivered by his uncle Johannes Paulus Stricker.

The church was also known as the Franse Kerk ("French Church"), Walenkerk ("Walloons' Church"), Oude Walenkerk ("Old Walloons' Church"), or Oude Waalse Kerk ("Old Walloon Church").

Source: Walloon Church, Amsterdam

French Église wallonne d'Amsterdam

L'église wallonne d'Amsterdam, Waalse Kerk en néerlandais, est une église protestante réformée de langue française situé à Amsterdam, aux Pays-Bas. C'est une église wallonne depuis 1586, et un refuge huguenot après la persécution des protestants en France. Tous les dimanches à 11 heures, les offices sont célébrés en français. Le bâtiment, situé le long au canal Oudezijds Achterburgwal, au centre de la ville, est un monument national des Pays-Bas depuis 1970.

Source: Église wallonne d'Amsterdam