Nicolaï Church
In the middle of Appingedam you will find the Nicolaïkerk or Nicolaaskerk; a Romano-Gothic hall church, the largest church in the Groninger Ommelanden and as a National Monument. National Monument belonging to the Top 100 Dutch UNESCO monuments.
Take a closer look
The Nicolaïkerk is a Romano-Gothic hall church in Appingedam. The oldest part of the church was built at the beginning of the 13th century. Presumably a house of worship had stood on the spot where the church was built before. Due to the enormous growth the city of Appingedam experienced during the 13th and 14th centuries, the church soon had to be expanded.
For the first century, the church was still dedicated to Mary, but after some time Nicholas of Myra became the patron saint of the church after all. Some murals of St Nicholas can still be found on the walls of the building, which are dated to the mid-15th century. Today, in addition to church services, the church is also used for concerts, exhibitions and lectures.
Bells and the carillon.
In the tower h...
The Nicolaïkerk is a Romano-Gothic hall church in Appingedam. The oldest part of the church was built at the beginning of the 13th century. Presumably a house of worship had stood on the spot where the church was built before. Due to the enormous growth the city of Appingedam experienced during the 13th and 14th centuries, the church soon had to be expanded.
For the first century, the church was still dedicated to Mary, but after some time Nicholas of Myra became the patron saint of the church after all. Some murals of St Nicholas can still be found on the walls of the building, which are dated to the mid-15th century. Today, in addition to church services, the church is also used for concerts, exhibitions and lectures.
Bells and the carillon.
Three swinging bells hang in the tower on the second floor. In the octagonal lantern, a carillon consisting of 25 bells, cast in 1911 by English bell-founder John Taylor.
As early as 1620, Appingedam had a carillon of 13 bells by Francois Simon, which was slightly modified in 1835 and re-installed in the new tower until its replacement in 1911. In 1979, 1991 and 2000, the playing mechanism underwent changes and the number of bells was increased to 51.