Lack of funds: that’s the reason the Toren van Ransdorp has no spire. This tower of the Kerk van Ransdorp stands in Amsterdam-Noord. It is a monument to a village that once thrived. Let’s step back in time to discover the Toren van Ransdorp’s story.
A thousand years ago people already lived here. This was in the low-lying Waterland near the Zuyder Zee. Regular flooding made life difficult. So in the 13th century, they built a long dike around Waterland. This protected the fields and villages.
In the early 16th century, Ransdorp began building its church tower. Construction on the Toren van Ransdorp began around 1502. The tower is late Gothic in style. Jan Poyt designed the tower. But by 1542, the money ran out. The builders couldn’t add the steeple. The Toren van Ransdorp remains incomplete to this day. The Kerk van Ransdorp itself is much newer.
Ransdorp was once a major player in shipping and trade. Especially in the 15th century, Ransdorp prospered. The Toren van Ransdorp reminds us of this era. The village could afford a grand church. Today Ransdorp is a sleepy village. Farms and meadows surround it. Cows and sheep graze peacefully.
The Toren van Ransdorp is 32 meters high. From the flat top, you can see across Landelijk Noord. A clock from 1620 is housed within. H. Meurs made the clock. It has a diameter of almost 130 cm. There is also a mechanical tower clock.
The Toren van Ransdorp served a purpose during World War II. German soldiers used it as a lookout post.
Between 1936 and 1938, the tower and church were restored. Stadsherstel Amsterdam restored the church building in 2006.
Rembrandt van Rijn sketched the church. He was one of Holland’s most famous painters. Rembrandt’s second wife, Geertje Dircx, was born in Ransdorp. Their marriage was not a happy one. They argued constantly. They even took each other to court. Rembrandt bribed her brother. He managed to have her locked up in a house of correction. She was there for a few years.
The Toren van Ransdorp is visible for miles. It stands like a massive ship in the landscape. For centuries, sailors used it as a reference point.
Ransdorp has the smallest drawbridge in Amsterdam. Waterland combines the large and the small. You can climb to the top in summertime. The view over Waterland is your reward. So when you look at the Toren van Ransdorp remember its past. A past of trade and a village that couldn’t afford to finish its tower.