Monuments in Noord-Holland

R. Stenvert en C. Kolman (2006)

Gepubliceerd op 26-03-2018

The Herv church in Medemblik

betekenis & definitie

(Kerksteeg 6a), originally dedicated to St. Boniface and later to St. Maarten, is a three-aisled hall church with three-sided closures. The large tower has three sections, a wooden balustrade and an eight-sided masonry spire with hoists and lantern. A first church on the spot is mentioned in 1118.

At the beginning of the 15th century (1404) the construction of the late-Gothic tower began with pointed arches and masonry spire. The current church came into being in the 15th century, but suffered greatly from the looting in 1517 and the town fire in 1555. The broader northern side began around 1525 and was completed some time after 1555; the planned widening of the southern side aisle was no longer realized. In 1639 the church floor was raised and in 1658 the church was given a new roof and the spire of a lantern with two clocks of Francois and Pieter Hemony (1649) and a bell of Everardus Splinter (1636) was foreseen. Main choir and northern choir were demolished in 1860-'63 and replaced by three-sided closures. The church was then also plastered. The reconstruction of the Zuiderzijkoor and an internal plastering followed in 1902-'04. The tower was restored in 1925-'26 (H. van Heeswijk). The restoration and dissection of the church followed in 1969-'71 and 1991-'93 (Schipper & amp; Zijlstra).

The interior is covered by wooden barrel vaults with draw beams. On the pillars, cartouches decorated with roller work have been applied (1602). The inventory includes a pulpit decorated with scenes from the history of Judith and Holofernes (circa 1560), a wooden choir fence (1572, north aisle), a men's mansion (17th century) and further 18th century pews and a brass plate for Lord George Murray († 1760). The organ, built in 1668-'71 by Pieter Backer, was enlarged in 1785 by Christoffel Bätz. Beautiful are six - mostly decorated with lobe ornament - stained glass windows (1670, 1671, 1681, 1709 and 1904); the youngest was made by atelier Schouten.