Saint Gertrude's Church Wichelen

Standing parish church integrated between the predominant ribbon development on the southern street side, set back a few meters in front of the old building line. Particularly, the soaring front facade tower of the slender church building forms a significant landmark in the flat Scheldt landscape that dominates and marks the village center of Wichelen.

The Scheldt village of Wichelen had a place of worship perhaps as early as the 12th century. The St. Gertrude Chapter from Nivelles owned the patronage rights. The former parish church of Wichelen was located more to the north than the current one, namely in the old village center by the Scheldt, in the eccentric northwestern district of Dorp and Paddenhoek. Due to the problematic dilapidated condition of the old village church with Romanesque crossing tower, it was decided in the 1860s to forego repairs and opt for new construction elsewhere in the municipality. The old church site at Dorp remained recognizable in the form of the walled old cemetery next to the Scheldt, with a protected grave chapel as a monument featuring a mortuary (Oud Dorp).

In 1866, architect Edmond Serrure senior (Sint-Niklaas) was commissioned to draft the plans for the new church to be built. The dispute over the location delayed the implementation. Ultimately, it was decided to build a new church more centrally in another residential area of the parish that was more conveniently located for more worshippers. For the construction of a new church, a piece of land on the south side of the Wetteren-Dendermonde road within the Margote district was donated by Mr. J.-B. Eeckhaudt-De Keyser.

Approved by the municipal council on 8.02.1867 and after remarks from the KCML, adjusted by architect E. Serrure; approved by the Commission in 1868. Tendering on 3.04.1870. Foundations started in August 1870 with limestone from the demolition of the old village church. By the end of 1871, the church was under roof. Stone vaulting was completed in March 1872. The tower was finished in July 1872. The church, dedicated to St. Gertrude, the patron of the previous parish church, was consecrated on 30.10.1872 and officially dedicated on 28.07.1873 by Monsignor Bracq, Bishop of Ghent.

In 1914, during World War I, the church tower spire was destroyed. The upper section of the church tower was simplified and rebuilt in 1926 with a new spire, according to the design (1924) of architect Theophiel Présiaux (Wichelen). He had to take into account the comments of provincial architect V. Vaerwyck (among other things regarding material use). In 1970, it was restored by architect F. Weyers (Sint-Niklaas). The sacristy was expanded with a chapel in 1983.

The interior of the church was dressed and equipped in late 1872 - early 1873 with restored old furniture, mainly from the 18th century, originating from the previous parish church. Later completed with high-quality neo-Gothic furniture mostly from the workshop of Mathias Zens. His design for the choir stalls of 1881 was approved by the Commission in 1882.

According to De Potter and Broeckaert, the interior of the church was fully painted. Little remains of this polychromy in neo-Gothic style. The painting in the chancel was done by J. Janssens (Sint-Niklaas). Mention of partial repainting of the chancel in 1903 by Janssens (Ghent). In the repainting of the church interior in 1927 by Theo Goethals (Ghent), the KCML advised to preserve and restore the paintings of J. Janssens in the choir and behind the side altars. In 1955, painting works took place under the direction of Brother Julien from the Ghent St. Lucas institute. After the restoration works of 1985 (on the roof, tower with renewal of the weather vane), painting works followed at the end of 1988 - beginning of 1989 (according to the design of Dom Antoine from the abbey of Dendermonde), during which the figurative polychromy of the choir was significantly reduced.

Simple floor plan of a three-nave church without a transept with a built-in square front facade tower, nave of seven bays ending in a five-sided choir facing south; choir flanked by a sacristy to the right and a storage room to the left. Lower church under a slate gabled roof with symmetrically placed wooden dormer windows; ridge running above the choir.

Brick church with the use of natural stone for the plinth, at the joints and covering of the buttresses, for framing the portal and the windows, and for the tracery of the windows. The front facade is developed as a feature wall on the street with a central risalit that extends to the tower. Square tower of 47 meters high with five sections under a canted eight-sided tower spire with a tower cross and weather vane. Strikingly accentuated cut corner buttresses. Verticalizing effect through the superposition of the portal, spacious apse window, niche, and belfry opening, all with pointed arch shapes, belfry openings with partial columns and quatrefoils in the tracery. Crowning clock section under a delineating arch frieze. Symmetrical concept in the front facade emphasized by the placement of the pointed arch windows of the side aisles; also both round upper lights with inscribed four-leaves and the light slots of the staircase shafts in both tower corners. Repetition of the same pointed arch windows in the side elevations of the aisles and choir with variation between two types of elegant Gothic tracery. Side elevations and choir very simply developed with rhythmic buttresses; blind three-sided chancel closure.

Stichting Open Kerken