It lies in the most western part of the Grachtengordel neighborhood (Centrum borough), next to the Jordaan, between the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht.

The Westerkerk was built between 1620 and 1631 in Renaissance style according to designs by architect Hendrick de Keyser.

The building of the Westerkerk was finished and completed by his son Pieter de Keyser and inaugurated on June 8, 1631.

Today the Westerkerk remains the largest church in the Netherlands that was built for Protestants, and is still in use by the PKN (Protestantse Kerk in Nederland) There was no organ when the Westerkerk was consecrated on Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 1631, in accordance with Calvinistic belief at that time instrumental music in the church was considered profane.

Later, in 1727, the console was enlarged with a third manuel by Christiaan Vater, who learned his profession through Arp Schnitger.

Today the bovenwerk (Oberwerk, located in the top of the organ case) is still almost complete, with stops by Vater.

The manuals and stop triggers beside this mechanical baroque organ are located in the main case behind this rugwerk.

On 18 April the new organist Evan Bogerd performed the commissioning concert on the internet;[4] the church was closed to visitors because of the coronavirus pandemic.

[5] From April till the end of October, there is a free weekly lunchtime concert on Fridays or Saturdays at 1pm.

Music by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) is performed almost weekly at the services of divine worship on Sundays.

On the left panel we see the dancing and playing King David in front of the Ark of the Covenant.

Gerard de Lairesse was born in Liège in French Belgium in 1640 and he moved to Amsterdam in 1664.

At this moment, the shutters of the Duyschot organ can be seen on a retrospective of the work of Gerard de Lairesse at the National Museum Twente in Enschede.

The grisailles on the rugwerk panels were also painted by Gerard de Lairesse; The four evangelists with their items are shown.

[9] It is the only carillon in the city chiming the entire twenty-four hours (At the request of the residents of the Jordaan District).

See above for the names and years In a lower chamber behind the sounding boards in the tower wall there are three swinging bells also made by François Hemony in 1658.

The largest swinging bell was replaced after 27 years by Claude Fremy (his pupil, nephew and successor), because it was cracked.

[2] Every year on his birthday anniversary, the 15th of July, he is remembered in the Westerkerk with a lunchtime concert with music from the time of Rembrandt's life, and flowers are hung on his memorial marker.

On March 10, 1966, Princess Beatrix married Prince Claus von Amsberg in the Westerkerk.

The Nieuwe Kerk on Dam Square where royal weddings are usually held was being renovated at the time.

The Westertoren is mentioned frequently in her diary – its clock-face on the tower could be seen from the attic of the Achterhuis, and Anne Frank described the chiming of the carillon as a source of comfort.