Alteratie

 Oude Kerk in spring

Alteratie denotes the change that happened in Amsterdam on May 26th 1578 when the city government went into the hands of the prince-minded Protestants.
The Roman Catholic city government, which was loyal to the Spanish king Filip II, had long held out, but had eventually to suffer the indignity of seeing the city’s businesses fall into the hands of the Protestants.

  Oude Kerk

As a result of the Alteratie the parish churches and chapels fell into the hands of the Protestants and got new names.

  The former St. Nicolaaskerk now Oude Kerk

Amsterdam’s oldest church, St. Nicolaaskerk was renamed Oude Kerk and the chapel Heilige Stede (the holy place) became Nieuwe Zijds Kapel (demolished in 1908)

 This is how Heilige Stede looked

The city’s many monasteries also fell into the hands of the new city government and got new (non-religious) purposes.

  This gable stone was put up in Kalverstraat in 2001 in commemoration of the former chapel

Now it was the Catholics, who had to organize hidden churches where they could hold their religious services.