German Evangelical Church

Deutsche Evangelische Kirche im Haag

Published: 19 August 2009 Modified: 14 October 2009

Since the beginning of the 17th century The Hague’s Lutheran congregation was preached to in German, but in 1820 they stopped appointing a German-speaking preacher. The German community in The Hague therefore wanted their own church.

In 1856 the German Evanglical Community in The Hague was founded and in 1861, thanks to donations, they were able to build their own church at 5 Bleijenburg. In 1863 they started giving German bible studies in a building next to church. These classes are the foundations of the present German-speaking school in The Hague.

World War II

The situation in Germany after 1833 had its effects on the German Evangelical Community in The Hague. Pastor Paul Kaetzke sympathised with the ideas of the Bekennende Kirche, which took a critical stand against Hitler and Nazi Germany. During the occupation of the Netherlands Kaetzke was able to help those who where in need of it. Even after the war, Kaetzke fulfilled a double role; he not only helped his own congregation in The Hague, but also tried to support German prisoners of war in the Netherlands.