Haarlem by Night

Entrance door of the hide church of the United Mennonite Congregation in Haarlem, and to the left one of the "Vermeer" style 17th century houses in Haarlem.

After the reformation, catholics and a few protestant groups were band from public display. Hide churches provided a way to keep up the religious practice, without affronting the Reformists. Hide churches were tolerated and in a typical Dutch, on the one hand overzealous, and on the other hand wholy pragmatic approach, subject to strict building and construction rules. This "neogotic-Amsterdam school-Jugenstill" mixture entrance door dates from the beginning of the 20th century though, while the church itself is 17th century.