Fire of the historical church in Amsterdam

Zdjęcie: Pożar zabytkowego kościoła w Amsterdamie

New Year's Eve in Amsterdam brought dramatic events. The fire was covered by Vondelkerk – a 19th-century church, which is 1 of the city's distinctive architectural buildings. The fire severely damaged the tower and the roof of the erstwhile temple. Although no casualties have been recorded, material and symbolic losses are enormous.

The origin of the fire has not yet been officially confirmed. Unofficial reports of Dutch media, however, indicate that fireworks may have been the origin of fire during fresh Year's Eve celebrations. This is another case that raises questions about the safety of mass games and tolerating the uncontrolled usage of pyrotechnic materials in densely built city centres.

Evacuation of residents and paralysis of the area

The fire rapidly took over the roof and tower of the building. The rain of sparks falling on neighboring streets forced the servants to evacuate residents of respective twelve close homes. In addition, electricity supply was cut off to about 90 buildings, which further increased chaos and threat.

The fire department reported that the construction of the church walls is unchangeable and not threatening to collapse, but firefighting operations continue. In the morning the fire was inactive not full contained, and there was a strong smoke in the area.

Historic object on fire

The largest 60 metres basket lift in the Netherlands was directed to rescue, showing the scale of the fire and the difficulty in reaching the origin of fire. Vondelkerk was commissioned in 1880 and served as a Catholic temple for decades. In the 1970s, he was demoted from this function and turned into a cultural object – a place of concerts and artistic events.

For many inhabitants and observers, it is simply a symbolic image of modern Western Europe: the historical churches, which have lost their first meaning, are only part of the amusement landscape, and their protection falls to the background.

"A immense tragedy", but will the lessons be drawn?

At the site of the fire, the Mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsem, who described the event as a “great tragedy”. It's hard to disagree with that assessment. However, the question is whether real conclusions and decisions will follow these words – concerning the protection of monuments, public safety and the work for organizing mass events.

The Vondelkerk fire is not only an architectural failure but besides a informing signal. Tradition, heritage, and safety must not lose to temporary fun and indulgence in risky behavior. If Europe wants to preserve its cultural roots, it must truly defend them – not only in declarations but in concrete actions.