This area is the oldest in town (de Oudezijds). It was built before the Golden Age (17th century) and the famous Canal Belt. The church standing in the middle has something peculiar about it. It is the oldest building in the city, so it seems quite understandable that it is now called Oude Kerk (Old Church). But when it was built around 1300 people named it New Church because it was a replacement of an even older wooden building that had been there, namely the oldest Old Church. To make things even more complicated, the wood from the first building was saved and when the current church became too small, that was used for another church on Dam Square, which Amsterdammers called New New Church, or New Church. But is that right? As it contains the wood from the Old Old Church, you might as well call it the New Old Old Church or the New New Old… or…
City map
Comments
