Hidden in the heart of the city centre of Amsterdam is a small wonder: Our Lord in the Attic Museum. Visitors will be going on a journey in a unique well-preserved canal house from the 17th century. Narrow corridors and stairs lead to historically decorated living quarters, kitchens and bedsteads, ending in what is literally the highlight of the museum: a complete church in the attic.
The attic church was commissioned by wealthy Catholic merchant Jan Hartman and was inaugurated in 1663.
At
the time Hartman lived in the canal house with his family, a Protestant
city council was in power in Amsterdam. It is forbidden to practice the
Catholic faith in public. Former Catholic churches and monasteries have
been confiscated and used for Protestant worship. Catholics have to
look for alternatives and celebrate Mass in hidden house churches. This
is tolerated by the city government! After all, the principle of freedom
of conscience applies in the Republic of the Netherlands. Behind the
front door, everyone is allowed to think and believe what they want.
This creates an exceptional climate of tolerance for the time, in which
different religious population groups can live together in the city.