Altar Stones from the Munster Church
The exhibition “800 Years of the Munster Church” features a high altar designed by Pierre Cuypers.
The altar was designed by Pierre Cuypers in 1901–1902 and was on display in the Munster Church until 1959–60. At the Cuypers House, the altar is being displayed as a complete ensemble for the first time since its removal from the Munster Church.
The lower section of the altar consists of three altar stones made of French limestone. In the center is depicted the “Lamb of God on the Seven Rivers” (the seven rivers symbolize the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Anointing of the Sick, Ordination, and Matrimony). On the right is the “Sacrifice of Melchizedek” (High Priest Melchizedek kneels before Abraham with a cup), and on the left is the Passover meal (during which a lamb is sacrificed), Traces of decorative borders and layers of colored paint are still just barely visible.
The Cuypers Archive at Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam houses a design drawing of the high altar in the Munsterkerk. The altar stones are clearly visible in this drawing. An enlarged version of this design drawing is on display in the exhibition.
In 1959–60, the altar was removed from the Munsterkerk. The three stones from the lower section were secured by the subcontractor and transported to his company’s premises in Meerssen. There, they remained outdoors for a long time.
Through a donation to the Cuypershuis in 2015, the subcontractor’s son found a fitting home for the altar stones. In the exhibition, they are being displayed for the first time alongside other parts of the altar, which are on loan from the Munsterkerk.
