The Westerkerk is a church in Amsterdam, finished in 1638 after a design by Hendrick de Keyser .

The crown topping the spire is the Emperor's Crown of Maximilian I.

Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn lies buried here.

The church is at the bank of the Prinsengracht canal; the Homomonument is nearby.

It is located close to "The Achterhuis" where diarist Anne Frank, her family and others hid from Nazi persecution for two years during World War II. The Westerkerk is mentioned frequently in her diary - its clock tower could be seen from the attic of "The Achterhuis" and Frank described the chiming of the clock as a source of comfort. A memorial statue of Frank is located outside the church.

Near the Anne Frank memorial, is the Homomonument, a memorial for men and women persecuted for their homosexuality.

External link

Amsterdam Bureau of Monuments and Archeology (Dutch)