# Groote Kerk

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Content updated: 2026-06-22

Groote Kerk stands in Cape Town as a Dutch Reformed church and an architectural landmark in South Africa. The church occupies a site connected with Christian worship since 1678.

The present building replaced the original church and was completed in 1841. Its original tower remains part of the structure.

Willem Adriaan van der Stel laid the cornerstone of the first church on this site. The first stone church opened in 1704.

Inside, the church features a carved pulpit created by sculptor Anton Anreith and carpenter Jacob Graaff. The pulpit was inaugurated in 1789.

South Africa’s largest church organ has stood inside Groote Kerk since its installation in 1954. The building also reflects Cape Town’s early colonial history.

Services first took place in the Fort, where lay preacher Willem Wylant served settlers. Joan van Arckel later preached in a wooden church.

The congregation’s history includes early communion in 1652 and baptism in 1653. Later expansions and renovations followed changes within the community.

Today, Groote Kerk remains a significant cultural and historical landmark in Cape Town. Its pulpit, tower and organ connect several periods of the church’s history.

- City: [Cape Town](https://mytuur.com/en/city/cape-town/)

## Photos

- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_GrooteKerk_672e61dc3b5f521d3642e4ab_0.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Groote_Kerk,_Adderley_Street,_Cape_Town.JPG)
- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_GrooteKerk_672e61dc3b5f521d3642e4ab_1.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:9-2-018-0106_Grootte_Kerk_Adderley_street_Cape_Town_\(2\).JPG)
- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_GrooteKerk_672e61dc3b5f521d3642e4ab_2.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grootekerk.jpg)

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