Protestant church of Jistrum

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The Protestant Church of Jistrum, also known as Saint Peter’s Church, is a medieval brick church in Jistrum, Friesland, Netherlands. It stands in the village center at Schoolstraat 2 and is a protected Rijksmonument (35645).

History and dedication
The church was built in the 13th century as a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Peter. It became Protestant during the Reformation in 1581, when statues and wall decorations were removed in one week. The tower dates from about 1230. The nave and the semicircular choir are from the 13th century.

Architecture and style
The church has a gabled roof and brick buttresses at the corners. The upper walls have decorative brick patterns. The north wall contains two high Romanesque windows and two brick entrances in the lower part; the south wall has two large lancet windows and a small Romanesque window near the tower. The choir has five Romanesque windows, and the nave features a Romanesque-Gothic vault with eight ribs meeting in a ring. During renovations, two hagioscopes (small windows once used by people with leprosy) were found and restored.

Interior and fittings
A wooden pulpit from the late 17th century is placed where the choir meets the nave. On the 20.5-meter-high tower, a horse weather vane now sits where the traditional golden rooster once stood (the rooster was blown off by the wind and not replaced for cost reasons).

Bells and organ
The original bell from 1759 was stolen by German forces in World War II. The bell currently in use dates from 1949. In 2007, the church underwent renovation and a large pipe organ from the other town church was installed.