Cycling past Groningen's heritage
" 'The red-brown monastic bricks, fired from Groninger clay, give them character. They are from here.' "
Some call them beacons of silence, peace and contemplation, others praise their robust appearance and still others say that together they are one big museum. Sometimes we mention France or Tuscany to underline how beautiful the Groningen churches are. But actually, they don't need that at all. Above all, they are themselves. And that is precisely why they are so special.
Many of our churches have ancient roots. The red-brown monastic bricks, baked from Groninger clay, give them character. They are from here. And the towers? They are often not even that high. But on top of the mounds, they rise above everything else. Inside, there is much to discover: from centuries-old wall paintings to beautifully bricked vaults. You simply cannot avoid Groningen's churches.
Donatuskerk Leermens
Ancient, that is Leermens' Donatuskerk. This has been built and rebuilt for centuries. Just look at the side walls of tuff. This part is the oldest, dating from 1050. In the transept, the tuff is mixed with red monastic bricks. In the thirteenth-century choir, that 'mop' takes over completely. Inside, fifteenth-century paintings splash off the wall and roof. Look up first. Will you discover the symbols of the four Evangelists? And can you see the Mystic Lamb in the vault? St Donatus, St Sebastian, Mary and Child and St Ursula look kindly at you from the walls. And make sure you look closely, because you will see that under Ursula's cloak virgins are hiding. And who is that crowned figure next to Sebastian? That could easily be Emperor Diocletian. The seventeenth-century pulpit is the only remaining piece of ancient furniture. The rest was lost in a fire in 1957. That happened quite often. Fire in the church, red cock in the roof, they used to cry.
Mariakerk Krewerd
This friendly little church stands on the mound of Krewerd. You can look at it for hours and almost forget that you can also go inside. There you will find the second-oldest organ in the Netherlands. Connoisseurs come from far and wide for this organ. It still works. Also on display are medieval paintings. Just look at the brick imitation and the plant motifs on the vaults. Of particular note is the coat of arms. It is full of a builder's attributes: trowel, shop hook, hammer and axe. Couldn't be otherwise in such a beautifully bricked church. There is a story behind this late Romanesque hall church. The widow Tiadeke has a seriously ill son. She lives on a borg, near Krewerd. She promises to build a church when her son gets better. This happens, but Tiadeke does not keep her promise. When her son later dies childless, she still has the church built out of guilt. The Maria Church belongs to Het Grootse Museum van Nederland: a collection of the most beautiful Dutch churches. Hardly surprising, if you've been there.
Sebastiaankerk Bierum
If there is one church that is tough, it is Sebastiaankerk. What do you want with such a huge buttress holding up the tower. But there is more that makes the church unique. Ever heard of a 'reduced westwork'? That is actually little more than a steeple built into the church. Sounds dead normal but it is not, especially in this region. The outside looks Romanesque. The inside with domed vaults and brick imitation is more late Romanesque in nature. In other words, a church in transitional style. The substantial buttress is much younger. The fear of subsidence must have been great, otherwise you wouldn't build such a magnificent bear. In Bierum, too, you really should go inside. Look up and behold Christ, Catherine with the wheel, Sebastian and Mary with child. For years they were hidden under a thick layer of chalk.
" 'You can look at it for hours and almost forget that you can also go inside.' "
