St Walburgiskerk (Antwerp, Belgium)

St Walburgskerk (Antwerp, Belgium)

1976

Oil painting

35 cm x 40 cm

St Walburga church in Antwerp(Belgium)

Central in the first fortified city of Antwerp, from the 11th century, was the church dedicated to St Walburga. Under french occupation in 1798 the church is conficated and sol, it serves as a warehouse. In 1816 the Dutch gouvernment confiscates the church building and in 1817 its demolished. The city mayor and aldermen decided to put on the burg-square, that was left after de demolition, a statue of Pieter Paul Rubens. In 1880 when the (current) Scheldt quais were build most of the area of the first fortified city form the 11th century was demolished and even the foundations of the St Walburgis church disappeared and the statue was moved to the (current) Groenplaats.

Some parts of the interior of that ancient church, that actively served for more then 700 years, was recovered : the altar piece painting The Elevation of the Cross (Rubens) and the predella (foot of the altar) have been reused in the main altar of the Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp). Another altar was moved to the nl:Heikese kerk in Tilburg where it serves as main altar.

In 1936 the city Master-builder (architect) nl:Flor Van Reeth constructed a new modernistic church building with the same name on the Volkstraat near Het Zuid. This building was declared a monument 1995 and restored in 2007.