The origin of the oldest church in Delft goes back to the dark beginning of the Middle Ages. Around 1050 the settlement along the ?Delf? probably already had a tuff church of about 12 by 30 meters.

Around 1240, civil servant Bartholomeus van der Made took the initiative to extend the church with two aisles and a choir. But when Count William II granted city rights to the bustling town of Delft in 1246, this was considered the official 'year of birth' of the Old Church.

Impressive
At that time the church was named after Saint Bartholomew, the patron saint of the founder. In the centuries that followed, the place of worship developed into an impressive Gothic basilica. But the Old Church still breathes something of the atmosphere of the Middle Ages.

Destroyed
On the night of 3 May 1536 there was a fire in the nearby Nieuwe Kerk, probably caused by lightning. It was extinguished with all hands on end, but more than half of the houses were destroyed. The Old Church was also in bad shape. That year saw the first major restoration.

Ordinary glass
Fate also struck in 1654. In the early morning of 12 October the 'Secret of Holland' exploded; the storage place for gunpowder. The blow - which reportedly could be heard on Texel - destroyed at least five hundred houses and the windows of the Old and New Church. Thanks to a collection in the surrounding villages and towns, reconstruction followed quickly. However, many stained glass windows were bricked up or replaced by ordinary glass.

Overall restoration
Towards the end of the eighteenth century the floor of the church weakened. This was followed by a major renovation to which all grave owners had to contribute. After a major fire in 1921, the church was closed for almost three years. From 1949 to 1961 and finally from 1997 to 2000 two general restorations of the stucco, the stained glass windows and the roof followed.

Important people linked to the old church

- Maarten Tromp
Tromp's last performance was in 1653, during the Battle of Ter Heijde. A sniper hit him in the left chest and he died. According to tradition his last words were: 'I have done, keep good courage'. However, eyewitnesses claim that he died instantly. Tromp was honoured with a richly executed burial monument in the Old Church.

The origin of the New Church goes back to a miraculous story from the year 1351. The eccentric beggar Symon sat in his usual spot on the Market Square, and got something to eat from a Jan Col. What happened then, no one expected?

Suddenly a bright light shone on Symon's face. The beggar said to his fellow townsman: 'O myn uytverkooren live befriends and siedt dy not open heaven? Together they looked up towards the field of gallows at the time... There, in a vision, they saw a golden church dedicated to Mary.

1380 first stone
As with so many churches, the construction of the New Church took place in phases. In 1393 the first stone was laid for a transept. After a devastating city fire, iconoclastic storms, the Delftse Donderslag (cross explosion) and various renovations, the Nieuwe Kerk was finished in 1655.

On 3 May 1536 an enormous fire destroyed half of Delft. The disaster was probably caused by lightning strikes in the Nieuwe Kerk. Part of the tower burned down. The organ, the bells and the stained glass windows were lost, and one of the roofs collapsed. A first renovation was required.

Delft Thunderclap
The second renovation of the Nieuwe Kerk followed the so-called Delft Donderslag. On 12 October 1654 some 90,000 pounds of gunpowder exploded in the Delft powder store. The walls of the church were stripped; roofs and windows were not spared either. Fortunately, thanks to a collection by the surrounding municipalities, the rebuilding of the city could begin quickly.

Plastering
In the 1930s, the Nieuwe Kerk underwent a number of changes for the last time. For example, the plaster was removed from the walls. This had a drastic effect on the appearance of the interior. Concrete bored piles were also placed under the church to prevent subsidence.

Important people linked to the Nieuwe Kerk

- William of Orange
Normally William of Orange would have been buried in Breda, were it not for the fact that this city was occupied by the Spaniards. Thus Van Oranje was buried in the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. Since then, all members of the Dutch Royal Family have found their final resting place here.

- Queen Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina abdicated from the throne in 1948. Daughter Juliana became queen; she herself retreated to Palace Het Loo. Wilhelmina died when she was 82 years old, and at her own request was given a completely white funeral in the Nieuwe Kerk. Over the years various books have appeared about her. Wilhelmina herself wrote the autobiography 'Lonely but not alone' in 1959.