Lokhorstkerk, Leiden
The Lokhorstkerk is Leiden an example of "clandestine church" that does not advertise its true purposes on the outside for fear of persecution (photo: Mike Reed).
The Lokhorstkerk is a low building with a simple classical front in Leiden, the Netherlands. It is an example of a "hidden" or "clandestine" church, in which the actual church was built behind houses so that it was not visible from the street.
The Lokhorstkerk was built in the 17th century behind existing houses by Mennonites, who were already here when the Pilgrims arrived. The houses that formed the Lokhorstkerk's facade were replaced in 1860 by the present entrance.
The church is now used by the Remonstrants, a denomination that was organized in 1619 by the followers of Jacobus Arminius, after they were forced out of the Dutch Reformed Church.
Other groups that had hidden churches in Leiden include Lutherans and Catholics.
