Public can watch restoration work in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam

Visitors can observe important restoration work in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam this summer. The eight-meter-high columns in the middle of the church are slowly sinking and need to be redone. A two-meter-high walkway will allow the public to see the renovations.

"It has been more than three generations since the church has carried out such a major maintenance project, and it is unique that the public can now witness this," says the church. On the footbridge, visitors can watch archaeologists examine the site on weekdays before the construction company starts work at the end of October.

The tour is part of the new Discover The New Church exhibition, which will be on display until August 31. It also shows some of the finds made during preliminary archaeological investigations last year. The church dates back to 1408, and people were buried in and around it until 1866. Human remains, grave goods, handles with skulls, and nails with initials were found.

Incidentally, not all the money for the renovation is there yet. About 2.7 million euros are needed to pay for all the work and there is still a shortfall of one million euros. "So we still need one last push," says Annabelle Birnie, director of the New Church.

The work is expected to be completed in December. The exhibition will then be on display until April 6, 2025.