n 1639 the plan arose to build a third Protestant church in The Hague. For the time being, however, it remained just a plan because of the lack of financial resources due to warfare. This came to an end with the Peace of Munster in 1648. Already a year later, the first spade in the bustling Spuikwartier went into the ground. It was the Society of The Hague that acted so energetically as builder and found in the hitherto little-known Pieter Noorwits an architect as ambitious as he was inventive. Noorwits' design showed great daring and originality. High rising walls not only enclosed an immense space, where the Calvinist believers heard God's Word proclaimed, but also very gracefully carried a majestic covering, without the need for additional supporting structures, such as columns. An ingenious feat of constructive and architectural daring, it exuded the sturdy yet proud simplicity so characteristic of the Republic of the Netherlands. And that impression has defied time. For still today, the Nieuwe Kerk manages to impress.