Wilhelm Victor Alfred Tepe is the second most important architect of neo-Gothic in the Netherlands, after P.J.H. Cuypers. Tepe, the son of a German textiles-merchant who had moved to the Netherlands, was born in Amsterdam on the 24th of November 1840. He studied architecture at the Bauakadamie in Berlin from 1861 until 1864 but was not content with its Classical orientation. In his free time he studied the work of Viollet-le-Duc, the French expert on Gothic architecture, as well as actual churches. From 1865 until 1867 Tepe worked for Vincenz Statz, one of the leading neo-Gothic architects of Germany, in Cologne. Here he was involved with the restoration and completion of the cathedral, an experience that would become of a major influence on his work in the Netherlands.
In 1867 Tepe returned to Amsterdam, where he worked for an architect Ouderterp for a while, and moved to Utrecht in 1872 where he became one of the leading members of the St. Bernulphusgilde ('Guild of St. Bernulphus'), a group of catholic clergy and artists who strived to bring back national traditions and craftmanship in religious art and architecture, and which became a dominant factor in this field in the archdiocese of Utrecht. Influences from medieval indigenous styles were especially encouraged, as was the use of indigenous materials, especially brick. In this diocese Tepe built most of his work. Between 1871 and 1905 Tepe built ca. 70 churches, executed in brick with very little natural stone, and taking the late-Gothic 15th- and 16th-centuries' styles of the Lower Rhine and Westphalia as examples. The interior of the churches was provided by other members of the St. Bernulphus Guild, of which F.W. Mengelberg was the most important. Until 1882 Tepe had an almost total monopoly in the field of church architecture in the archdiocese. Only after the death of archbishop Schaepman did other architects get more of a chance.
Besides churches Tepe designed various monasteries, schools, orphanages etc., all related to the catholic church, as well as a few houses. Throughout his entire career his work shows little evolution in style. There are however four periods in his career. Between 1871 and 1876 Tepe tries to develop his style an experiments with several types of churches. His designs are sparsely decorated in this period. The second phase, from 1876 until 1890 sees an increase in decorations. Between 1890 and 1900 builds several churches with centralizing tendencies, mostly in the form of hall-churches. In the fourth period Tepe's development has ceased, and several of his designs are closely related to some of his older churches. Especially after 1900 Tepe occassionally built churches in Germany, while the competition in his own country became too strong. In 1905 Tepe moved to Germany, where he designed several more churches, and died in Düsseldorf in 1920, a day before his 80th birthday.

The following is a listing of Tepe's churches, arranged in a more or less chronological order.

Double house in neo-Gothic style, for Tepe himself and his neighbour F.W. Mengelberg.

1871 Slagharen (Ov): church St. Alphonsus

Tepe's first church, a simple one-aisled building. Demolished.

1873-1875 Loo (G): church St. Antonius Abt

Small three-aisled neo-Gothic hall-church with three-sided choir.

1873-1874 Doornenburg (G): church St. Martinus

Enlarged by Tepe in 1884. Destroyed in 1944.

1874-1876 Arnhem (G): church St. Martinus

Three-aisled cruciform basilican church in the late-Gothic style of the Lower Rhine, with three-sided choir flanked by chapels. Tower of four segments was constructed a few years later, and is also flanked by a chapel. One of only a few churches were Tepe used natural stone as well as brick, although for details only.

1874-1875 Nieuwegein-Jutphaas (U): church St. Nicolaas

Three-aisled cruciform basilican church. Slim buttress-less tower of three storeys with polygonal stair-turret. This church is regarded as one of the most important of Tepe's designs.

1875 Avereest (Ov): church St. Vitus

Small three-aisled hall-church.

Big symmetrical complex in neo-Gothic style. Chapel at the back.

1875-1876 Mijdrecht (U): church St. Johannes de Doper

Three-aisled pseudo-basilican hall-church, inspired by the German 'Stufenhalle' type. The design is a predecessor of that of the church in Schalkwijk. Tower without buttresses in Lower Rhine Gothic style, decorated with niches and a polygonal stair-turret.

1875-1876 Bredevoort (G): church H. Hart en H. Georgius

Small one-aisled neo-Gothic cruciform church with slim tower of four segments without buttresses.

1875-1876 Eibergen (G): church St. Mattheus

One-aisled church with lower and narrower choir. Tower flanked by a stair-turret and a baptistry. Replaced by a new church in 1934.

1876-1877 Workum (Fr): church St. Werenfridus

Three-aisled pseudo-basilican cruciform church.

1876-1877 Utrecht (U): church St. Willibrordus

Relatively short but very tall neo-Gothic cruciform basilican church without tower but with a tall steeple. Almost completely closed-in by other buildings. Impressive St. Bernulphus-guild interior. The building is undergoing a major restoration.

1876-1877 Beesd (G): church H. Kruisverheffing

Three-aisled neo-Gothic hall-church with half-enclosed tower of three segments. Choir lower than the nave.

1877 Terborg (G): tower church St. Gregorius

Tower of four segments for an older church.

1877 Hellendoorn (Ov): church St. Nicolaas

Three-aisled cruciform church in neo-Gothic style.

1877-1878 Pannerden (G): church St. Martinus

Three-aisled neo-Gothic basilican church with a tower of six short segments, inside of which an old Romanesque tower is irrecognizably encased. The tower is only a bit higher than the nave, the original tall spired was destroyed in 1944 and replaced by a shorter one.

1878 Angeren (G): church St. Bavo

Church with three aisled under one saddle-roof. Narrower choir. 1878 is year of consecration.

Chapel in Neo-Gothic style. Part of a Jesuite school. The chapel was destroyed in World War Two.

1878-1879 Schalkwijk (U) : church St. Michaël

Neo-Gothic cruciform basilican church with tall western tower. Tribune-like niches in the third segment of the tower were inspired by those on the tower of the reformed church in Houten.

1879 Nieuwe-Pekela (Gr): enlargement church St. Bonifatius

Neo-Gothic transept for an older church in neo-Classical style. Was so badly constructed that within 20 years it had to be demolished and rebuilt. The entire church was demolished in 1988.

1879-1880 Kortenhoef (NH): church St. Antonius

Small three-aisled neo-Gothic hall-church with tower.

1880-1883 Vinkeveen (U): church H. Hart van Jezus

Large neo-Gothic three-aisled cruciform church with western tower, which was heightened with one segment in 1914. Choir with five-sided closure and a wide ambulatory, the only time Tepe used this feature.

1880 Winschoten (Gr): church St. Vitus

Small pseudo-basilican church without transept.

1880-1882 Ter Apel (Gr): church St. Willibrordus

Designed as a three-aisled hall-church with transept. Only three traves of the nave, the transept and the choir were built. In 1924 W. ter Riele completed the church in a similar style, with three three-aisled traves and a front with two flanking towers.

1880-1881 Bedum (Gr): church O.L. Vrouwe Hemelvaart

One-aisled cruciform church with buttresses inside the church.

1880-1881 Harlingen (Fr): church St. Michael

Big three-aisled neo-Gothic cruciform basilican church with three-sided transept-arms and tower.

Small church in neo-Gothic style.

1881-1883 Amsterdam (NH): church St. Franciscus Xaverius ('De Krijtberg')

Three-aisled neo-Gothic cruciform basilican church with diagonally aranged chapels next to the choir. Front flanked by slim polygonal towers.

1882-1883 Amersfoort-Hoogland (U): church St. Martinus

Neo-Gothic church. Altered in 1957.

1882-1883 Borculo (G): church O.L. Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming

Small three-aisled neo-Gothic pseudo-basilican church with tower of four segments.

1882-1883 Steenwijk (Ov): church St. Clemens

Small three-aisled pseudo-basilica in neo-Gothic style. 

1882-1883 Balk (Fr): church St. Ludgerus

Three-aisled basilica in neo-Gothic style.

1882-1889 Amsterdam-Nieuwendam (NH): church St. Augustinus

Three-aisled cruciform church.

1883 Schagen (NH): church St. Christoffel

Neo-Gothic cruciform basilican church with slim tower with niches in its three storeys.

1883 Oldemarkt (Ov): church H. Willibrordus

Three-aisled hall-church. Lower choir flanked by apses. 

1883 Driebergen (U): chapel convent Arca Pacis

Chapel in neo-Gothic style, with octagonal tower. Chapel replaced in 1964-1965, except for the tower.

1884 Zevenaar (G): tower church St. Andreas

New tower of four segments for an older church.

1884-1885 Houten (U): church O.L. Vrouw ten Hemelopneming

Neo-Gothic cruciform basilican church with octagonal crossing-tower, the only time Tepe used this feature for one of his churches. The idea came from a series of Romanesque village churches in the Belgian Ardennes. Ornamentation of the exterior shows Romanesque influences as well.

1884-1885 Maarssen (U): church H. Hart

Cruciform basilican church with three-sided transept-arms and chapels in the corners between choir and transept. Relatively tall central aisle, and one of a few of Tepe's churches to feature flying buttresses. Tower of three segments.

1885 Boxmeer (NB): tower church St. Petrus

New tower for late-Gothic church. Damaged in 1944 and demolished in 1946.

1885-1887 Ijsselstein (U): church St. Nicolaas

Three-aisled neo-Gothic hall-church in Westphalian style, with diagonal chapels next to the choir, which has a five-sided closure. Regarded as one of Tepe's best works.

1885-1886 Kilder (G): church H.Johannes de Doper

Three-aisled neo-Gothic pseudo-basilican church with tower of three segments.

1886-1887 Lobith (G): church O.L. Vrouwe Onbevlekt Ontvangen

Three-aisled cruciform basilican church with tower of three segments with a saddle-roof. The choir was replaced in 1939-1940.

1887 Haaksbergen (Ov): enlargement and restoration church St. Pancratius

Neo-Gothic choir, northern side-aisle and western trave of the southern side-aisle added to a late-Gothic 16th century church in matching style.

1887-1888 Abcoude (U): church H.H. Cosmas en Damianus

Three-aisled cruciform basilican church with tower and three-sided closures of transept-arms and choir. The eastern trave of the southern side-aisle is deeper and higher than the others, containing confessionals below and a choir tribune above.

1887-1888 Valburg (G): church St. Jacobus de Meerdere

Small three-aisled neo-Gothic pseudo-basilican cruciform church with three-sided choir and an enclosed tower of three segments.

1888 Benschop (U): church St. Victor

Cruciform neo-Gothic basilican church with partially enclosed western tower and three-sided choir and transeptarms.

1889-1891 Baak (G): St. Martinus

Three-aisled pseudo-basilican cruciform church with double transept and robust tower of three storeys.

1891-1892 Raalte (Ov): church H. Kruisverheffing

Three-aisled hall-church with tower, similar to the church in Ijsselstein and inspired by the St. Lamberti in Münster, Germany.

1891-1892 Heeten (Ov): church O. L. Vrouw Onbevlekt Ontvangen

Three-aisled cruciform hall-church with polygonal transept-arms with diagonally positioned polygonal chapels between nave and transept.

1891-1892 Roodhuis (Fr): church St. Martinius

Three-aisled church.

1892-1894 Utrecht (U): church O.L. Vrouw ten Hemelopneming

Large three-aisled hall-church. Demolished 1972.

1893-1894 De Bilt (U): church St. Michael

Cruciform church with tower. Demolished in 1954.

1893-1894 Düsseldorf-Bilk (Germany): church St. Martin

Combination of a three-aisled cruciform hall-church in neo-Gothic style with a triangular ground-plan. Destroyed in 1945.

1894 Beltrum (G): tower church O.L. Vrouw Hemelvaart

Slim tower of four segments for an older church.

1894-1895 Arnhem (G): church St. Jan de Doper

Three-aisled hall-church with three-sided choir and two-sided closures of the side-aisles.

1894-1895 Aalten (G): church St. Helena

Three-aisled neo-Gothic cruciform pseudo-basilican church. Demolished 1945. Only two lower segments of the tower remain and have been incorporated in the new church, built 1950-1952.

1895-1897 's-Heerenberg (G): church St. Pancratius

Three-aisled neo-Gothic cruciform basilican church with a choir flanked by chapels and a tower of four segments. The closures of choir, chapels and transept-arms are all three-sided.

1895-1896 Gendringen (G): church St. Martinus

Three-aisled neo-Gothic hall-church with a tower of four segments.

1896-1897 Tubbergen (Ov): church St. Pancratius

Three-aisled cruciform hall-church in neo-Gothic style. Church incorporates a medieval tower.

1898 Barneveld (G): church St. Catherina

Small neo-Gothic church. Demolished and tower incorporated in new church built in 1929.

1898-1900 Utrecht (U): enlargement church St. Catharina

The front of this medieval church is removed and reconstructed several meters west of its original location. Tepe adds a trave to the nave. The reconstructed front is flanked by a tower, inspired by that of the townhall in Kampen (Ov), on one side, and a baptistery with stair-turret on the other.

1899 Everdingen (ZH): church H.H. Petrus en Paulus

Neo-Gothic church with three aisles of equal height and a tower. 

1899-1901 Utrecht (U): church St. Martinus

Neo-Gothic cruciform basilican church with three-sided transept-arms and diagonal chapels between the transept and the choir. The front shows similarities to that of the St. Michael in Schalkwijk. Rebuilt into apartments in 1987.

1901-1902 Losser (Ov): church Onze Lieve Vrouw

Long three-aisled hall-church with polygonal stair-turret at the north side.

1902-1904 Klazienaveen (Dr): church St. Henricus

Partly completed in 1903, unknown if it was ever completed. Demolished in the 1960's.

1903 Glanerbrug (Ov): church O.L. Vrouw van de Rozenkrans

1903 is year of consecration. At that time only the nave was completed. No further details.

1904-1905 Herwen (G): church St. Martinus

Three-aisled neo-Gothic hall-church with a tower of four segments and a choir with a three-sided closure.

Church in neo-Gothic style, built of sandstone.

1904 Brühl-Kierberg (Germany): church St. Servatius

Church in neo-Gothic style, built of brick.

Three-aisled neo-Gothic basilica. Completed in 1927. War damage repaired in 1949

1909-1911 Elberfeld (Germany): church St. Josef

Three-aisled hall-church in neo-Gothic style, with tower. Wide transept-arm at the north side. Mostly built of brick, but with decorative use of natural stone at the corners.

Huissen (G): enlargement church O.L. Vrouw Hemelvaart

Chapel-like sacristy with stair-turret added to the choir of a late-Gothic church. Destroyed in WW2.