Stevens Church at night by Lex Schulte

About "Stevens Church at night"

by Lex Schulte

About the artwork

The stern church at night. Outside it's dark, but inside it's always light... The Grote Kerk or Sint-Stevenskerk, popularly known as Stevenskerk, is the oldest and largest church in Nijmegen, in the Dutch province of Gelderland. The church is built on a small hill, the Hundisburg. Its history goes back to the seventh century. The foundation of the church is possibly related to the christianization campaign of bishop Kunibert of Cologne in the seventh century. The present church was consecrated in 1273 by Albertus Magnus. The church was for a long time the only parish church in the city. The building was extended several times in the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries, among others with an impressive ambulatory. In 1475 Pope Pius IV granted permission for the establishment of a private chapter in the Stevens Church. In 1591 the church became definitely Protestant. Catharina van Bourbon, who died in 1469, was buried in St. Steven's Church. At the expense of her son Karel van Gelre, a funeral monument was erected that can still be visited today. In 1810, by royal decree, the church became the property of the Reformed Congregation; the bourgeoisie owns the tower (to this day) in connection with the town's defences. In the following period, the church fell into an increasingly serious state of decay. The church was badly hit by the bombardment of 1944, but was rebuilt until 1969.