R.K.Parochie v.d. Heilige Martinus

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in Dutch. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

Introduction

The CHAPEL, belonging to the complex of the CEMETERY of the Roman Catholic St. Martinuskerk in Sneek is located in the south-east corner of the site and is oriented towards the north-west. The designer of the chapel was architect J.W. Boerbooms from Arnhem, who also designed the grave-digger's house, the entrance gate and the masonry base of the Calvary. The contractor for the construction of the chapel was J. van der Steele in Sneek, who delivered the work for f 10,150,-. In December 1892 the chapel was completed. In the stone plaque, which is placed in the east gable, can be read: "Th.B. 18 15/9 92" in commemoration of the first stone laying by pastor-dean Theodorus Brouwer. Pastor Brouwer was a member of the St. Bernulphus guild, which advocated the use of the neo-gothic style.

The chapel is built in a fairly austere style, recognisable within the traditional building tradition, customary for such a church building, whereby elements of neo-romanesque and neo-gothic are used side by side.

The chapel was thoroughly restored in 1990 by contractor company Bootsma in Oosterwierum. Of the INTERIOR of the chapel only the natural stone ALTAR qualifies for protection by the State; the altar too was restored in 1990. The chapel originally had no altar. Shortly after the construction of the chapel, after permission from the Archbishop of Utrecht, the present altar was installed in 1906. At this altar a Holy Mass could be said once a month, from April to November. The altar was supplied, thanks to a gift from Mr R.J. Visser, for F 300,- by the Firm Wed. L. te Riele in Deventer. The églomisé plates on the front of the altar were made by W. Mengelberg in Utrecht. During the restoration the stucco work in the chapel was completely renewed; the furniture too was replaced. The renewed interior components do not qualify for protection by the State due to the absence of monumental value.

Description

The chapel has a rectangular floor plan, is 10 metres long and 5 metres wide and is covered by a gabled roof with diamond-shaped slate tiles. The rear consists of a three-sided apse. On the ridge stands a belfry turret with bell (from 1949) on two beam-shaped pilasters; on the octagonal spire stands a cast-iron cross. The facades are constructed in brown Walloon brick and are divided by ornamental buttresses into bays, in which the windows are placed. The front gable, a spout gable with top pilaster, is decorated on both sides by two buttresses and rounded at the top by a masonry drip moulding. In the middle is the main entrance. Above the broad, double wooden entrance door is a large three-light window with a trefoil arch. Above this, at the top, three pointed spandrels with ventilation holes and grilles, with broad masonry mullions and in the middle a wooden square loft door. The windows in the facades, ten in total, are all fitted with leaded glass. Eight leaded glass windows come from the St. Martinuskerk in Martenshoek near Hoogezand-Sappemeer and were made in the Nicolas & Zonen workshop in Roermond. These are placed in the choir partition and in the front gable. Of the windows in the side facades, one has a flower rose from the church in Martenshoek, the other roses are reproductions. The natural stone altar, in the apse, stands on a rectangular stone elevation with tiled square motif in the middle and is provided with a decorated antependium. Here, from left to right, within the framing of three neo-gothic pointed window-like spaces, Paul, Christ and Job are depicted. The depictions are separated by thin columns. The accompanying texts refer to the unity of Christ (Phil. 3:9 and 29, John 11:25 and Job 19:25). On the raised edge on the rear of the altar stone can be read: "Esca viatorum domuit qui crimina mundi et mortem iussit mortuus ipse mori". On the altar stands a small, copper crucifix.

Valuation

The chapel with altar, belonging to the complex of the R.C. cemetery from 1892 of the St. Martinuskerk in Sneek, is of general cultural-historical and architectural-historical importance:

- as an essential part of a complex that is of national cultural-historical importance and is a particular expression of an administrative and spiritual development;

- because of the aesthetic qualities of the design;

- because of the architectural integrity of the exterior;

- in relation to the structural and visual integrity of the complex and the urban environment;

- because of the typological rarity at provincial level.