Reformed Municipality of Randwijk

The village of Randwijk was part of Deutz Abbey from 1003. The name Randwijk is a corruption of 'Rijnwijk' or in old Dutch 'Rinwic' (in old German: Reinwich).
From the eighth century onwards, trading centres on rivers or on the coast often bore the suffix -wic in their names. A wic is a place of refuge or port, a place for the merchant to spend the winter and store his goods. Between Randwijk and Wageningen there is a centuries-old ferry connection across the Lower Rhine, now Lexkesveer. It connected the Veluwe with Nijmegen via the medieval Holleweg near Wageningen.

The letter d in Randwijk is of a later date, no older than the second half of the 14th century.
The place used to be called Ranwic, even earlier Rinwic, and the Van Randwijk family descends from Wilhelmus de Renwic, mentioned in the year 1299. During the Second World War, there was heavy fighting in the vicinity of Randwijk in the autumn of 1944. Randwijk was located in the middle of the area that the Americans called 'the island' between the rivers Nederrijn and Waal with Dodewaard and Opheusden in the west and Arnhem and Nijmegen in the east. On 1 January 2006 Randwijk had 1496 inhabitants.

The Randwijk Reformed Church was the first to appear on the list of churches of the cathedral factory in the year 1395. In 1614 at the classis meeting in Nijmegen there was still talk of "uytroeyinge der Pausselicken superstitieuse reliquien specialick" tot Randwijk. Until 1706, Randwijk was combined with Heteren in terms of ecclesiastical aspects.
See also the list of pastors below.
Until the latter date, little is known of this church.

Excavations carried out in the ruins of the church have shown that there was a simple tuff hall church with a narrowed and straight closed choir here. The width of the nave corresponded to that of the central nave of the current building. The foundation was composed of blocks of tuff on a layer of boulders. This church was later renewed or restored in large brick. The west façade built from this material was still recognizable in the ruins. A tower was later built on this building.
It is possible that in the 15th century the choir and nave were replaced by the building destroyed in 1944, since the choir and the end gables of the aisles were bricked together, the nave and choir were presumably erected at the same time.

The Ned. Reformed church as it looked before the restoration in 1926.

The Ned. Reformed church as it looked before the restoration in 1926. There were no side entrances at that time and people entered the church under the tower.
In 1846 repairs were carried out on the church and in 1901 the building burned down. Renovations took place in 1925. In 1925 the church was thoroughly mutilated. With the exception of the middle one, the pillars between the nave and the aisles were demolished, and in place of the former four pointed arches, two round arches were built on the north and south sides. The first bay of the central aisle, the first two bays of the aisles were separated from the nave by wallwork, and were used as servants' quarters. For better illumination, the north and south walls of the third and fourth bays were raised as gables, in order to accommodate the placement of the large windows. The interior was covered with stucco vaults. To this end, the choir windows had to be shortened at the top.

In the winter of 1944-1945, the Germans launched the tower into the air, destroying the nave, but largely preserving the choir (see figure). Led by W. ]. G. van Mourik, the choir was restored and a completely new nave was built, which work was completed in 1953. The ruined church consisted of a three-aisled nave of four bays, without buttresses, with a tower on the west side and the choir on the east side. During the last restoration, the choir windows were restored to their original length. During the most recent reconstruction, the very lean, square pillars (of brick and tuff) were placed in the same, original place, resulting in the same bay layout as before 1925. The side aisle walls were erected considerably further inwards, making the side aisles very narrow and more walkways.
The foundation of the original aisle walls and tower has been retained as a pavement on the outside of the church. On the west side there was an entrance, flanked by servants' quarters, and at the western end of the ridge of the slate-clad roof a simple turret was erected.

Out of the ruins of the church the pulpit of 1638 has emerged; damaged, but in such a condition that it could have been repaired. Left to his own devices, he probably burned out in the winter of 1945-1946.

The ruined church, seen from the west side 1945

The old church must have been in possession of wall paintings, including a depiction of St. Bartholomew. In the choir there are said to have been two large paintings opposite each other (Geld. Volksalm. 1875, p. 140).
The bell cast by Peter van Trier in 1613 was taken away by the Germans. It had a diameter of 132 cm with the inscription: 'Gedenckt den diefdag wan gy horen der klokken slag. Pieter van Trier has cast me Anno 1613'

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