Lebuïnuskerk, Overijssel Province, The Netherlands

4Robert O 5:00 PM Oct 1, 2022

Big historic church in Deventer
Completed in 1525, the colossal Lebuïnus church still dominates the skyline of Deventer. Two major changes occured during its 'life' time. The first during the Reformation in 1580 when the church interior was stripped of all its glamorous altars and idols. Also numerous colourful paintings and frescoes were removed or covered. The second significant change was at the beginning of the 20th century when all attached buildings were removed and the church with a new roof was left standing alone like a monument. Gradually historians are changing their view on missionaries like Lebuïnus who in the 8th century was killed during efforts to christianize the indigenous Saxons. "Kerstening" (imposing christianity) often was a very violent process.

4Mireille B 5:00 PM Sep 14, 2019

The Lebuinuskerk on top 100 Dutch heritage sites
Who has enough time in this century to dig into the history of this important church in Deventer ?I watched the documentary film about the history of the town in the History Museum ,and I really enjoyed the story of the two monks who crossed the river in 778 ,having visions of the church.Lebuinus constructed the first chapel on this spot ,on the eastern bank of Ijssel ,his mission was to convert people to christianity.The present church from the 15 th century is dedicated to him ,it stands proudly in the big square ,it is visible from far and wide ,it invites you freely to go inside ,maybe you can learn something about its destiny.I couldn't find any English information about it , I explored the interior ,like a blind .I was impressed by its simplicity ,by its big proportions ,it was renovated many times in its stone history ,it belonged to Catholics ,Calvinists ,Protestants.The medieval floor with gravestones impressed me a lot ,there was a painting exhibition inside ,the past and the present go hand in hand .Outside the sober Gothic church ,children were playing in the sand ,on one side of it...terraces were full of tourists nearby.A must see attraction when you visit the charming Deventer .