Der Aa-kerk

Groningen, Netherlands

Originally there was a chapel situated on the site of the current Aa-kerk church. This chapel was devoted to Mary and to Saint Nicholas, the patron of the bargees who cast off the vessels at the Westerhaven.

In 1247, the chapel became the parish church and was named Onze Lieve Vrouwe ter Aa (Our Lady at the Aa) - Aa being the nearby river. Groningen had two centers at the time. One of them was around the chapel. Here lived the fishermen and the traders. Between 1425 and 1465, the chapel was changed into a brick church with a transept.

Images of the Siege of Groningen in 1672 show Der Aa-kerk without the top of the tower. After the war a new wooden tower top was built. On 23 April 1710, the tower spontaneously collapsed killing two people. In 1711, a new tower was built.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Akerkhof 2A, Groningen, Netherlands

See all sites in Groningen

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Religious sites in Netherlands

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Martinikerk (0,5 km)

Drents Museum (24,8 km)
Buitenpost Church (28 km)
Nicolaïkerk (22,8 km)
Nienoord (12,4 km)
Veenhuizen Colony (22,6 km)
St. Peter and Paul Church (17,8 km)
Fraeylemaborg (16,5 km)
Menkemaborg (22,5 km)
Verhildersum (19,7 km)

User Reviews

dna Eumaryu (4 months ago)
Nice building, live Christmas carols, perfect athmosfere for Christmas. Free entry. No tickets or reservation required during the Winterwelwaart weekend.

Traveler Developer (7 months ago)
Very nice building

Aylin Örs (9 months ago)
A nice church, would like to see an event in. It's impressive to see the small exhibition inside, connecting people, time, art...

Alexandr Goguskin (2 years ago)
Outstanding place, wonderful show at museum night, inside it breathtaking

Julia M (2 years ago)
Akerk is like a time machine. Modern art and a special spirit are united here. Perhaps the secret is in the beautiful organ music that sounds inside... perhaps

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Mark1792

Historic Site of the week

Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.