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On Saturday 5 December De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam will open its newest exhibition History & Royalty. 600 Years of History. Like in an autobiography De Nieuwe Kerk (est. 1408) will take you back into its own history, one which is inextricably linked with that of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. With films, historic objects, secret chambers, monumental interior parts. The exhibition’s climax is Panorama Nieuwe Kerk, a new, meters high film installation presenting the long history of this national church.
Time travel –
The exhibition is a time trip of more than six hundred years. From the oldest parts of the medieval building, such as the chapel containing the grave of the ‘Knight of Jerusalem’, to the investitures of the Dutch kings and queens from the nineteenth century on, and to the Royal Wedding of Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima. From the sixteenth-century Iconoclasm, the great fire of 1645 and the seventeenth-century rebuilding of the church, to De Nieuwe Kerk’s literary pantheon and its commemorative stones for famous Dutch writers.
A great number of historic stories can be collected from the many monuments in the church interior: its stained-glass windows, its medieval frescoes, its grave monuments, its spectacular brass choir screen, its breathtaking organ. For this particular occasion we have opened two cabinets to the public that can usually not be entered: the Churchwardens’ Chamber and the Chancellor’s Chamber.
Audio tour for kids and adults –
A special, 6-language audio tour is included in your ticket, for kids and for adults. Ask for an audio device at the start of the exhibition, the units are disinfected after each use. Or use your smartphone/tablet, follow the tour via this link. Bring your own head set or ear phones!
Live concerts –
De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam houses the largest historic organ of the country. In the seventeenth-century it was played every day, during History & Royalty it will be played weekly by many excellent musicians, including our regular organ players Henk Verhoef and Bernard Winsemius. All concerts will consist of works by well-known composers. In addition it is they who will inaugurate the New Year by giving the fabulous New Year’s Concert on Friday 1 January.
Face mask obligation – De Nieuwe Kerk is very much Corona-proof. As of December 1, 2020, the Dutch government has made it a legal requirement to wear a face mask in public indoor spaces such as museums. This is also the case in De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam. By accepting the Terms and Conditions of De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam at your e-ticket purchase, you agree to this obligation. On the basis of this measure, access to the museum can be denied.
