Groote Kerk

The first Groote Kerk was originally built in 1678. It was the first Christian church constructed soon after Jan van Riebeeck arrived. The site is a heritage site containing over 300 years of burial history.  

Willem Adriaan van der Stel laid the cornerstone for the original church that was replaced, designed and built by Herman Schuette, stonemason and architect, in 1841, but the original tower was retained. The sculptor  Anton Anreith. and the carpenter Jacob Graaff created the pulpit that was inaugurated on 29 November 1789. The church interior is predominantly made of timber. It has wooden pews and wooden galleries.

The Historic Graves of Groote Kerk

 The area was designated as a burial ground in 1677. Previously, the graveyard inside the Castle of Good Hope was used.  In the Dutch colonial period, clergy, officials, and wealthy colonists were buried beneath the church floor. Among them were Governors Simon van der Stel (1712), Ryk Tulbagh (1771), and Baron Pieter van Reede van Oudtshoorn (1773). During the early years of the colony, it was customary to bury important individuals inside the church building. Hundreds of graves are located beneath the floor, mostly those of clergy, officials, and wealthy colonists.

The first recorded burial at the  Groote Kerk was that of Reverend Petrus Hulsenaar in December 1677. The grave is one of the oldest identifiable tombs at the Groote Kerk.  Other engraved tombstones can still be seen inside the church; the inscriptions are in Dutch, but many of the tombstones show signs of wear from years of foot traffic. Some graves and memorials were moved or covered during renovations. In 1979, restoration was done to preserve the surviving tombstones and crypts. The churchyard outside once served as a broader burial ground but was phased out in the 19th century. 

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. Today, Groote Kerk is both a functioning church and a heritage site, holding more than 400 years of Cape history beneath its floor.

Audio Guide

Just down Parliament Street, 43 Upper Adderley Street, Cape Town Central,

Admission is free. Donations are gladly accepted

Updated october 2025