The headline tells the tale: Amsterdam’s historic Westerkerk is offering space for burial urns in its new crypt to raise funds to rebuild its deteriorating floor, and it’s not shy about pointing out the illustrious neighbors.
John Faasse, head of the Friends of the Westerkerk Foundation, told Dutch press that “Half the Rijksmuseum lies here. Almost every stone in the Westerkerk is a tombstone.”
The new crypt, which is only for urns, is actually meant to serve regular Amsterdamers, but the first 150 spots will go for €10,000 each to raise the funds. The payment is actually for a guarantee of ten years in the space; after that additional payments are needed.
Like many other churches in the Netherlands, the Westerkerk is suffering from shrinking peat soil, and the floor needs to be replaced. The operation is expected to cost around €4 million.
Image: Rembrandt’s Tomb in Westerkerk (Quahadi/Wikimedia Commons)
