Sint-Trudokerk Peer

A wooden church was probably built on this site around 950 , which was later made of fieldstones.

During the 11th century a new church was built, of which a small part may still be preserved in a wall on the east side.

Everard van der Marck, lord of Peer, granted permission in 1367 to the people of Peren to build a defensive wall around the city. Around 1392, the construction of the capstone, the imposing Gothic tower , also known as the 'Reus der Kempen' , started.

Construction of the tower is said to have started in 1392 and was completed before 1422. The heavy tower, which was part of the city walls , was also used as a refuge for the citizens in case of troubles. In 1483, however, 1500 civilians were murdered in the battle between Willem I van der Marck Lumey and Johan van Horne, after they had betrayed them to leave the tower.

In 1572 the church was set on fire by Austrian troops and in 1599 by mutinous Spanish troops. The ship's archive was largely destroyed. Almost immediately after this, the church was repaired and the spire raised . It was then much higher than the current one, but in 1606 the spire blew off and fell on the nave, which was partly destroyed. Then the current, pear-shaped spire was built. In 1654 the church was again badly damaged, this time by Lorraine troops. Almost the entire city archive, which was kept behind the main altar, was lost.

Restoration work took place in the following decades and repairs were also carried out in the 18th and early 19th centuries . However, in 1799 (calendar time) most of the bells were removed by the French and they threatened to blow up the tower if the cross was not removed. The Maria clock from 1641 was spared. On July 21, 1825, the so-called "mosquito fire" took place in the tower, in which the inhabitants of Peren mistook a dense swarm of mosquitoes for smoke and put all their might into extinguishing them, where their nickname "mosquito extinguishers" comes from (which they share with the residents of Turnhout parts).

Further renovations, partly in neo-Gothic style, followed. From 1895-1897 the ship was almost completely rebuilt, under the direction of Hyacinth Martens. In 1992, a carillon of 64 bells was installed in the tower , manufactured by Bell Foundry Petit & Fritsen. The Peerse carillon is therefore still the largest in the country.

The choir and the tower are in Kempen Gothic style. The heavy, square west tower has four sections and can be visited . It functions partly as a museum . The choir is built in marlstone. The nave and transept are largely neo-Gothic.

The church has 17th-century furniture, such as a baroque confessional by Ghijsbrecht Hechtermans, churchwardens' pews and a communion rail. Furniture from the 18th century is also present, such as a choir lectern and a confessional by Gillis Kraaywinckel. The pulpit is 19th century.

15th century statues are: a stone Our Lady with the Pear and Jesus on the Cross. From the 16th century comes a Jesus on the cold stone and a Golgotha, executed as an alabaster relief. The 17th century is also represented with, among other things, a carved wood nativity scene , a pieta and other works of art. There are also some 18th-century statues of saints.

The church also holds a large number of 17th-century paintings , including a Message to Mary , attributed to Gaspar de Crayer, a Rest in the Flight into Egypt, by Andreas Daniëls and Pieter van Avont. There are also some 18th and 19th century paintings.

The church possesses a large number of church treasures, such as silver ecclesiastical vessels and precious vestments.

Willem Vandenameele