Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic) Netherlands

The Church of Our Lord in the Attic is a Catholic church hidden inside a canal house of the Red Light District is the only surviving schuilkerk (clandestine church) that dates from the Reformation, when open Catholic worship was outlawed.

Quick Facts

Go Historic ID
248401
Names
Church of Our Lord in the Attic
Our Lord in the Attic
Museum Amstelkring
Location
Coordinates
52.3751630° N, 4.8971940° E

Location Map

Map showing the location of Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic), Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Note: The address shown in the upper-left panel is sometimes inaccurate.) Click here to view larger.

Aerial View

Aerial view of Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic), Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Note: The address shown in the upper-left panel is sometimes inaccurate.) Click here to view larger.

view all →

Timeline

1661
Jan Hartman buys canal house; builds Catholic church inside
1739
The priest Ludovicus Reiniers purchases the property and makes some renovations, including the addition of another stairway in the church, remodeling of the facade, and removing the stag outside. By this time the church is known as the Church of Our Lord
1887
The new St. Niklaaskerk is dedicated, replacing Our Lord in the Attic as the Catholic parish church in Amsterdam. To save the latter from demolition, a group of Catholics pool their funds to purchase and preserve it.
28 Apr 1888
The Church of Our Lord in the Attic opens to the public on weekdays, making it the second oldest museum in Amsterdam (after the Rijksmuseum).