Heilig Landstichting: Cultural History and Architecture

Religious architectural history, designed spaces and walks through the village and surrounding landscape are at the heart of Heilig Landstichting. If you are looking for a destination with cultural appeal, the Cenakelkerk, Museumpark Orientalis and the various historical features offer a multifaceted insight into the town’s history. Two walks provide different perspectives: one takes you through the green village and its history, while the other leads through the landscape of Westermeerwijk.

Cultural History and Architecture

The Cenakelkerk is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. It was built between 1913 and 1915 on behalf of the Heilig-Land-Stichting, based on designs by J. Stuyt and his assistant draughtsman J. Margry; visual artist P. Gerrits also contributed. The larger Heilig Landstichting complex also has historical significance: it is a rare expression of the emancipation movement of the Roman Catholic population, which began in the 19th century. The church and the complex thus offer two distinct perspectives on the town’s architectural and cultural history.

Museumpark Orientalis is a 30-hectare Rijksmonument in Heilig Landstichting, where visitor experiences, architecture and nature come together. Between 1911 and 1940, numerous buildings and interiors were created there based on designs by Jan Stuyt and Piet Gerrits. Their architectural models were inspired by Syria and Jordan. The park therefore forms a distinct focus alongside the history of the Cenakelkerk.

Historical Models and Designed Features

The individual structures draw on a variety of historical references. Beth Juda was designed by Piet Gerrits between 1916 and 1918 as a representation of an early 20th-century Palestinian village. The synagogue’s layout and furnishings are based on a Sephardic synagogue dating from between 300 and 600 AD. Piet Gerrits studied it in the Holy Land between 1906 and 1911. The Heilig-Hartbasiliek, by contrast, remained unfinished: the building is in an Oriental style, and only the atrium and part of one arm of the cross were completed. These examples illustrate different ways of referencing architecture and history.

Other architectural features combine specific forms with religious themes. The Sermon on the Mount reliefs consist of eleven concrete panels set into a natural-stone retaining wall and depict Christ’s Sermon on the Mount according to Matthew. The Hof van Olijven is a walled courtyard; its grotto contains an olive press, a funerary chapel and two artificial-stone figures. The Wijnpers at Profetenlaan 2 consists of two large and two small basins, with a leafy bower on top. The Geboortegrot is designed as a concrete rock formation and contains a polychrome sculpture of Mary with the Child and the sleeping Joseph. The features thus differ both in their architectural form and in the religious stories they depict.

The landscape is also part of the town’s cultural character. The Begraaf- en Gedenkpark Heilig Landstichting lies on undulating terrain and includes irregularly shaped burial plots, a winding network of paths, and deciduous and coniferous trees. In Begraafpark Heilig Land, the Calvary Hill, also known as Golgotha, was the destination of the pilgrimage. Here, the park’s design sits alongside the historical significance of the pilgrimage destination.

Walks and Getting Your Bearings

Ommetje De Ploeg is a 3.7-kilometre cultural walk through the green village of Heilig Landstichting. It traces a century of history, from the De Ploeg settlement to Heilig Landstichting. Ommetje De Vier Perken leads through the centuries-old landscape of Westermeerwijk and starts in Heilig Landstichting. Its starting point is 't Zaaltje at Carmelweg 2. The two routes offer different perspectives: De Ploeg focuses on local history and the stated route, while De Vier Perken focuses on the landscape of Westermeerwijk.

Profetenlaan is a useful landmark for finding your way around the museum grounds: it is now the main entrance to the Museumpark Orientalis site. Together with the information about the walks, this starting point helps you put Heilig Landstichting’s cultural and landscape features into context as you plan your trip.

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