Hidden church in Amsterdam reopened by Queen Maxima
Posted on: augustus 14, 2015
Queen of the Netherlands will visit the Red Light District
On September 22, 2015 Queen Maxima of the Netherlands will be present at the re-opening of the hidden church in Amsterdam; Museum Our Lord in the Attic. This hidden church is located in heart of the Red Light District. A new entrance doubles its floor surface. It will contain a museum shop, and a café as well as an educative area where presentations on themes as diversity and tolerance can be attended.
The hidden church during the renovation. This photo was taken on 31 July 2015.
History of the hidden church in Amsterdam
During the rebuild workers found an old pit in the ground in which pottery and Chinese porcelain dating back to 1650 was found. It came from Asia via the VOC, The United East India Company, the first multinational in the world. This museum is one of the oldest in town and dates back to the year 1888. It shelters a complete 17th century city mansion as well as a complete church.
This hidden church in Amsterdam Red Light District was put into place in the times of the so called Reformation, when the Catholic form of Christianity became forbidden. That was the same time the Anglican Church was founded. On the attic Catholics could secretly worship in accordance to their own religion.
Maxima’s background
Queen Maxima is originally an Argentinian non gentry citizen, who married Prince Willem of Orange-Nassau in 2002. He is the present King of the Netherlands. Maxima ‘s last name is Zorreguieta. Maxima is very popular in Holland due to her looks and charm. But not very widely known is her financial expertise. Before her marriage Maxima was a director of a major European bank residing in Brussels. She also works for the United Nations leading the project of micro credits for the Third World, mainly Africa.
Maxima’s sister made an exposition in the COBRA museum in the Netherlands, protesting against the cruel persecution and killing of Argentinian inhabitants during the Videla regime, of which her and Maxima’s father was a part, since he was Minister of Agriculture in that time. The exhibition showed lumps of bleeding flesh, hanging from the ceiling, and was a horrible and awesome protest. In Holland father Zorreguieta was banned from public appearances. Still now, at the Playa de Mayo in Buenos Aires, mothers gather weekly asking where her disappeared son or daughter is.
But of course, Maxima can not be held accountable for the wrongs her father has committed and she is very popular here, not the least because her fun loving character. She likes to dance, she likes music and always behaves perfectly natural, even when she has to open a bridge, a hospital or at other formal occasions.
Quote of Dutch Queen Maxima
One of the most famous quotes of Maxima is: “It sits on the couch and it zaps”, referring to her husband, the King of the Netherlands. Willem is known for his love of sports. He finished in the Elfstedentocht of 1985 [Eleven Cities Run] , an ice skating race of more than 200 kilometers. Not many have completed the race, since the cold and the distance makes many victims.
