Temple des Augustins

Geschiedenis

The Temple des Augustins in Brussels was a baroque-style church designed by the architect Jacob Franquart and erected 1621-1642. It was located on Place de Broukere in the centre of Brussels until its demolition in 1893-1894.Closed by revolutionary troops in 1796, the church reopened for Roman Catholic worship in 1805.In the run-up to the Battle of Waterloo it served as an arsenal for British troops and subsequently as a military hospital.Under the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau the building was designated a Protestant place of worship, alongside Brussels Protestant Church on Place du Musée and the Dutch Church met in the Temple from 1816 until the Belgian revolution in 1830. The first Reformed service was held on 1 September 1816 and Hermannus Pauw and Dirk Rijke served as ministers 1816-1830. In March 1817 the future William III was baptised in the Temple. Anglican Reverend Holworthy, chaplain to the British Ambassador, held English-language services in the Temple until 1829.The last Protestant service was held on 21 August 1830; from 5 September the building was occupied by Belgian patriots. Many of the worshippers fled the city and the Dutch Church was left without a building, meeting in various locations before it eventually built its own premises at Zuidkaai in 1857.