GROTE or ONZE LIEVE VROUWE KERK in BREDA

History

of the

FLENTROP Organ

Historical documents already mention an organ as early as 1410. Breda then was the important court of the Nassaus and a large wealthy commerce city. In 1429 a certain Mr. Jannes wt Brabant worked on the organ. From 1492 on the organists of the church are known.

In 1543 on the South-West wall opposite the in 1525 erected chappel a for that time lareg organ was built. This instrument is still the basis for the present organ. Probably due to the big city fire in 1534 the contract was never totally realized. The organbuilder is not known, but all indications point to Hendrik Niehoff, the famous Organbuilder from Brabant who had completed the organ in the St. Jans Cathedral in 's-Hertogenbosch three years before. At least the organ case comes from 's-Hertogenbosch. A remarkable detail is the spring chest of the organ.

In 1536 a small positive for the accompagniment of the choir is build by Hans Graurock from Zutfen. Maybe it is him also who did build the big organ. Then Ysbrant Claeszone from Breda worked on the organ in 1543, 1546 and 1549. It is not known which stops he added to the organ.

In 1566, just before the iconoclasm, the pipes were removed from the organ and stored in a cellar from the city hall. Maybe there was no time te save the largest pipes that were lost. In the following period the church becomes alternated catholic and protestant and the condition of the organ deteriorates.

In the period until 1693 various organbuilders worked on the organ until Jacobus Zeemans was appointed who was an organist and organbuilder....
Zeemans did build and maintain many organs in Breda, like in the Grote Kerk (1710-1714), the Markendaalse Kerk (1711) and the Catholic Schuilkerk (1722). He also delivered many organs to villages around Breda, like in Leur.

After the death of Zeeman in 1744 a pupil of the famous Christiaan Mueller the organbuilder Johan Heinrich Hartmann Bätz was addressed for an investigation and the maintenance of the organ. In the turbulent period until 1815 again many unknown organbuilders worked on the organ. Then in 1816 the name C. van Oeckelen is mentioned in the archives. He carried out a number of repairs. In 1843 a large repair was assigned to Maarschalkerweerd en Stulting.

In 1938 the organ is restored by H.W. Flentrop in Zaandam under the leading power of the organist Willem Mathlener and mr. A. Bouman from the Dutch Carillon and Organ Council. After restoration of the church between 1904 and 1956 a new organ was ordered from D.A. Flentrop in Zaandam while using as much old parts as possible. In 1969 the organ was inaugurated and is still in use in the Grote Kerk. It is a unique instrument and famous far beyond the Dutch border.

The organ counts 53 stops and 4 manuals and pedal. In total it counts 3780 pipes. The Borstwerk dates probably from 1760 and was found in an old barn in Athis (Belgium). The Hobo 8' from the Bovenwerk was build by Anneessens and was saved from the former Catholic Cathedral in Breda. The Schalmei 8' from the Bovenwerk originally was built around 1750 by J.B. le Picard for an organ in Walshoutem (Belgium).

Reference: Geschiedenis van het orgel in de Grote of Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk te Breda by Lennart van den Ende.

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