The purpose of this website is to make the extensive archival material related to the Oude Kerk accessible for research, reflection, and inspiration. Through this platform, we provide access to the artistic processes and exhibitions, performances and concerts held since 2013, 252 historical objects within the church, 2,282 graves containing the remains of approximately 60,000 individuals. Moreover the architecture of the church itself and the surrounding neighborhood. By presenting these elements in relation to one another, Open Archive reveals new layers of meaning—shedding light on the past while offering insight into contemporary and future perspectives.
Open Archive is created for everyone, so whether you're a student, an academic, an artists, local or someone with an interest in the Oude Kerk, please feel free to roam around. Need a starting point? Browse our suggestions or let yourself be inspired.
The Oude Kerk is a place where various visions of the world come together; both in the past and present. When acknowledging these different perspectives on the world, one has to reckon with multiple accounts of the same historical events. For this reason, we believe history is not objective, or set in stone, and using the plural 'histories' acknowledges these complex accounts of ‘history’. Part of this idea is the objective to bring ‘contested’ histories back into the public consciousness.