Hooglandse Kerk (Highland Church), Leiden

The Highland Church of Leiden has two histories; the Catholic and the post-Calvinist period. In 1314, the bishop of Utrecht, Gwijde of Avesnes, authorized the building of a wooden chapel on the "High Land" at the confluence of the Old Rhine and the New Rhine. The chapel was dedicated to Saint Pancras, martyred at the age of fourteen, around 300 AD.

In 1377 a stone church was built to replace the wooden one. Parts of the 14th-century church can still be found in the modern structure. In 1470 Pope Paul II exempted Saint Pancras from the jurisdiction of the diocese of Utrecht.

Construction of a new church began. The ambulatory, transept, and choir were completed by 1500. The nave, vaults, bows, and balustrades were unfinished. The nave is perceptibly lower than the transept and choir.

The church had 24 altars, stained glass windows, frescoes, and statues. On or about 1525 AD, things changed forever with the Calvinist Reformation. In waves of violent iconoclasm, Churches were vandalized and looted. Saint Pancras came under the control of the Dutch Reformed Church. It was now known as the Highland Church.

Stripped and whitewashed, with plain glass windows and no altars, the new Highland Church was positively Minimalist. The exterior keeps the past features. There is a high Gothic choir and transept and a low nave. The partially wooden bell tower is short.

The Highland Church holds services. It is also a venue for conferences, concerts, and events.