Church of Remembrance Rhenen

This church was built in 1959 to serve as a Roman Catholic parish church but also as a national memorial to the horrors of World War II. To finance it, a nationwide ‘brick campaign ’ was organised in 1954 which raised 465,000 guilders in a single day. This was more than enough to realise the building.

In the thought hall, a rear wall with figurations depicting the contours of the Grebbeberg and five crosses symbolising the five days of battle in the May days and five years of occupation, a torch of hope On a plateau with the inscription ‘So that we may live’, a Book of Remembrance with the names of all the fallen on the Grebbeberg has been placed.

The interior of the church section also reflects the remembrance function. The pews are made of burnt and brushed-out wood symbolising the blackened remnants of war and violence. The stained-glass windows depict the Dutch armed forces.

Today, the building no longer has a church function, but is used for all kinds of activities apart from commemoration. Prior to the commemoration of the dead on the Grebbeberg Military Field of Honour on 4 May, an annual ecumenical prayer service is organised in the church.

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