Amstelkring Museum is one of the most interesting in Amsterdam. It is located in the Red Light District and since 1888 has occupied the building that was purchased in 1661 by the Catholic stocking merchant Jan Hartman.
After 1578, when the country was overrun by Protestants, the Catholic faith was not held in high esteem: Catholics were persecuted, but if they kept quiet and did not hold public services, they were treated quite tolerantly. It was precisely in order to organize meetings for the faithful that Hartman converted the attic and the two upper floors of his house into a hidden church.
This church, called Our Lord in the Attic, functioned for more than two hundred years. It has an altar with paintings by the artist Jacob de Wit and an organ. In the museum, which is now housed in the historic building, you can also see preserved 17th-century interiors, a drawing room, and a kitchen with authentic utensils.
