Sights
Vredeskerk (Iglesia de la paz)
Amsterdam’s Vredeskerk (Peace Church) was consecrated in 1924. The design of the church was strongly influenced by Art Deco. The name of the church was already determined in 1918 (before construction had begun), in part to mark the end of World War I.
Architect
When construction of the Vredeskerk began, architect Jos Bekkers was 31 only years old. His motto was “everything on the altar should be visible”, meaning that no pillars blocked the view of the altar in his design. Bekkers was strongly influenced by Pierre Cuypers, the architect responsible for the Rijksmuseum and Central Station. For unknown reasons, Bekkers was arrested by the Germans in July 1944 and died in the Buchenwald concentration camp.
