Jeruzalemkerk, Rotterdam (2023)

The Jerusalem Church in Rotterdam-Kralingen was built in 1907 as a Reformed Church. In 1910, the company of P. van Dam from Leeuwarden installed a new organ in the church. The instrument had a very nice façade and a closed organ case. It was a very solidly built church organ with a mechanical action and sliderchests. The organ was inaugurated on October 21, 1910. In accordance with the style of that time, the organ had a romantic sound and was described in the press as solid. Adhering to the idea that mechanical organs function better, the Van Dam company installed a mechanical pipe organ with a classic front. This and other comparable organs that the company built in these years are an exponent of the traditional classical line that the conservative Van Dam family set out. For this reason, their organs are counted among the last from the traditional period of Dutch organ building.

In 1955, the traditionally built Van Dam organ (under the advice of the Reformed Organists Association) was completely converted to the taste of the time and expanded by the Rotterdam Electric Church & Concert Organ Factory Valckx & Van Kouteren & Co. The solid wooden organ case with the façade pipes as well as the windsupply were demolished and have been lost. Fortunately, part of the pipework that was in the organ has been preserved. The new modern designed façade was given a so-called 'open arrangement' with large zinc organ pipes. The action was replaced by an electro-pneumatic one. Fortunately, the original windchests made by Van Dam remained in function, although the windchest of the pedal was enlarged by three tones. Valckx & Van Kouteren also added various new windchests and the organ thus received 13 new stops. The organ was inaugurated in September 1955, together with the renovated and modernized interior of the church building.