IANS
The Hague
The iconic Vondelkerk church in the Dutch capital Amsterdam was almost destroyed by a fire early Thursday morning, the Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported.
The flames broke out shortly before 1 am local time (00:00 GMT) in the church tower located in Vondelpark, said the report.
No injuries were reported, it said, adding that dozens of nearby homes were evacuated as winds hurled burning debris into surrounding streets, with evacuated residents temporarily sheltered in a nearby yoga studio.
Firefighters and emergency crews worked through the night to bring the blaze under control and prevent it from spreading to adjacent residential buildings, Xinhua news agency reported. Investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Built in 1872, the Vondelkerk served as a Roman Catholic church until 1977 and has since been used as a venue for events and small businesses.
According to Stadsherstel Amsterdam – the largest organisation in the Netherlands, dedicated to restoring heritage sites, monuments and cultural landmarks – the Vondelkerk dates from 1872 and for many years it was a well-attended church, also known as the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, named after the Catholic parish that worshipped there.
“Around a century later, due to secularization, the badly neglected building was threatened with demolition. However, a plan to restore and repurpose the church was developed, a foundation was established in 1980 to make it possible, and hence the beautiful building has survived to this day,” the organisation states.
It mentioned that the neo-Gothic cross-basilica was designed by the famous Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers and named after the 17th-century poet Joost van den Vondel. Cuypers also designed Central Station, the Rijksmuseum and dozens of churches throughout the Netherlands.
