Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder
"Our Lord in the Attic"
Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder (English: Our Lord in the Attic), formerly a 17th century canal house then transformed into a house Catholic church in 1660s after Protestant Reformation. Nowadays, it is a museum open for public.
The story started with a migrant named Jan Hartman, a catholic from Germany. Before he came to Amsterdam in 1630, Amsterdam's catholic no longer could practice their faith openly.
Hartman was a succesful merchant, he bought three houses in Oudezijds Voorbugwal and his status rises accordingly. He decided to convert his adjoining attics into a private church. He rebuilt the houses to require some space for the church. Hartman's church is no secret to the city's authorities but they ignored it since Hartman was an important part of the city's economy. As long as the church remains invisible from outside, there was no problem.
The church house is not glamour as Catholic churches in general. It is more humble as it is hidden in purpose. My favorite part is the altar, it looks like made of marbel although it is not.
One corner of the attic church heading to Oudezijds Voorburgwal canal. From the window you could enjoy a view of the busy canal filled with tour boats, especially during vacation time.
Sacred Vessels & Church Objects used in the holy communion or church mass.
The picture above is a bedroom of Father Petrus Parmentier (1601-1681), an Augustinian priest to whom Hartman rent his houses. He paid 250 guilders a year for the apartment rent. His apartment located in the last of the three houses, the front door is in the side street. You could find also the kitchen downstair but it is a bit dark and creepy, in my opinion.
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We spent an hour to explore the museum. It was more like a labyrinth since so many rooms and stairs connected one to each other. The museum has some collections of paintings, sculptures and religious things related to the church. If you are churchgoers, you can join Sunday Mass in the attic at 11 o'clock in the morning. Check the schedule of the mass before you decided to go. For more information, follow this link.
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 38
1012 GD Amsterdam, NL
