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Architects: Joh.H. Sluijmer (1894 -1979) and J.H. Sluijmer (1927-2005)

Johannes Hermanus Sluijmer or Joh. H. Sluijmer, also often spelled Sluymer, was born in Enschede (Ov) on September 11th 1894. His father was a former carpenter who had become a successful contractor. When young Sluijmer at the age of 14 failed the first year of secondary school, he was taught to become a carpenter in his father's firm. After learning the skills of draughtmanship at evening school and at the office of architect Kromhout van der Meer, in 1915 at the age of 20 he on a second prize in a competition for a hospital in Hilversum. After this he worked for architect Wolter te Riele in Deventer and was involved with the work on churches in Laren and Oldenzaal. Te Riele would become a major influence on Sluijmer. Later he worked for architect Rovers in Schiedam. In this period he lived in Rotterdam. In his free time he studied architecture and in 1919, while still lving in Rotterdam, he was commissioned to design a presbytery for Aalten. That same year he returned to his hometown Enschede and started his own office. The next year he designed his first church, the neo-Gothic St. Antonius in Zwartemeer (Dr), which was built in 1921. During the rest of  his career, Sluijmer built several churches in various styles, beginning with neo-Gothic which, after some influences of Expressionism, ended with Traditionalism. In the 1930's Sluijmer had cooperated with H.W. Valk on churches in Haalderen (where he was the executive architect) and Enschede (the St. Jacobus, designed by both in conjunction). This cooperation, as well as publications about churches by A.J. Kropholler, influenced Sluijmer's subsequent designs for village churches.
He also designed many profane buildings such as houses and was involved with the development of new neighbourhoods in Enschede.  Most of his work was built in the provinces of Overijssel and Gelderland. After the Second World War Sluijmer was assisted by his son J.H. Sluijmer, first informally, but after 1956 officially. He died on April 8th 1979.

His son J.H. Sluijmer Jr. (Hans) was born in Enschede on February 7th 1927. After the Second World War he studied construction engineering at the Institute of Technology in Delft, where M.J. Granpré Molière was one of his teachers. Sluijmer later married Granpré Molière's secretary. After his graduation in 1952 he found a job at the office of J. van der Laan in Leiden. However, the declining health of his father soon urged him to join the office in Enschede. On Saturdays he took the multi-year course Church Architecture in 's-Hertogenbosch, where the ideas of Dom Hans van der Laan were taught by architects like his former employer (and brother of Hans) Jan van der Laan. In 1956 father and son Sluijmer became official partners. Sluijmer jr. became in charge of the office when his father took a less prominent position. The office was expanded to become a multi-disciplinary company that still exists today. Already before his graduation in 1952 he was involved with the work of his father, first introducing the ideas of the post-war Delft School and later that of the Bossche School. His later work is of a more Functionalist nature, like that of the late Bossche School which had abandoned the traditional basilican construction. The last church by the Sluijmer office was built in 1971. Sluijmer retired in 1984.

The following is a list of Sluijmers Sr. and Jr.'s religious work only. It is mostly, if not entirely, complete.

 
1920-1921 Zwartemeer (Dr): church St. Antonius

Sluijmer's first church, a centralizing building in neo-Gothic style.

 
1925 Glanerbrug (Ov): enlargement church O.L. Vrouw van de Rozenkrans

Addition of a choir and sacristy to A. Tepe's church from 1902-1903.
 
1927-1928 St. Isidorushoeve (Ov): church St. Isidorus




 



Three-aisled centralizing church in a neo-Gothic style with Expressionist influences. The church has a transept that was meant to be later extended, which never happened, which is why it is hardly wider than the nave.

 
1929-1930 Boekelo (Ov): church St. Marcellinus

 

 


Small towerless basilican church in modern Neo-Gothic style.

 
1930 Enschede (Ov): temporary church H. Hart van Jezus







Wide building in a modest style. Now a community center. The permanent church was built behind this church in 1953.
 
1931 Silvolde (G): church St. Mauritius

 

 


Large and tall cruciform basilica in a combination of Traditionalist and Expressionist styles, with tall frontal tower.

 
1932-1933 Zwolle (Ov): church St. Joseph








Church in Traditionalist style,
designed in conjunction with G.Th. Ruberg. In the 1990's it was rebuilt into apartments.

 
1932-1933 Enschede (Ov): church St. Jacobus de Meerdere


 



Centralizing church in neo-Byzantine style, designed together with architect H.W. Valk.
 
1933-1934 Haaksbergen (Ov): church H. Bonifatius en Gezellen






Pseudo-basilica in Traditionalist style. Tower with saddleback-roof.
 
1934 Glanerbrug (Ov): church St. Bernadette









Aisleless church in Traditionalist style. Although built as a parish church, the church became part of the newly built Capuchin monastery Dolphia a few years later. Now a restaurant.
 
1934-1935 Megchelen (G): church St. Martinus

 

 

 

Cruciform pseudo-basilica in Traditionalist style with front tower.

 
1934-1935 Eibergen (G): church St. Mattheus

 

 

Three-aisled church in Traditionalist style, with large crossing-tower.

 
1936-1938 Beckum (Ov): church St. Blasius

 

 

Cruciform pseudo-basilica in Traditionalist style with front tower.

 
1937-1938 Ruurlo (G): enlargement church St. Willibrordus

Addition of side-aisles to an older church by P.J.H. Cuypers.

 
1938-1939 Ommen (Ov): church St. Brigitta

Three-aisled church in Traditionalist style.

 
1938 Enschede (Ov): tower church O.L. Vrouwe van Altijddurende Bijstand







Tower added to an older church by J. Stuyt.
 
1938 Enschede (Ov): design church Ariëns Gedachteniskerk

Design only. Large cruciform basilica in Traditionalist style, with big square crossing-tower and a front with two lower towers. After the war Sluijmer designed a new church for the same location, the current H. Hart van Jezus from 1953.
 
1939-1940 Buurse (Ov): church O.L. Vrouwe Maria Presentatie

 

 

 


Three-aisled church in Traditionalist style with front tower.

 
1945 Gendt (G): temporary church St. Martinus

Aisleless church in Traditionalist style. Now a theatre.
 
1948-1950 Neede (G): church H. Caecilia



Towerless basilica in Traditionalist style.

 
1948-1952 Rijsenburg  (U): enlargement church St. Petrus Banden

Replacement of transept and choir of an older church.

 
1948-1950 Bemmel (G): church St.Donatus







Cruciform pseudo-basilica in a Traditionalist style, largely modeled after Gothic and/or neo-Gothic examples, but with the tower showing Romanesque influences. Replaced a neo-Gothic church by H.J. Wennekers which was destroyed in 1945.

 
1949-1951 De Belt  (Ov): church O.L.V. van Fatima

Towerless basilica in Traditionalist style.
 
1949 Hengelo (Ov): chapel school  De Grundel

Small towerless basilica in Traditionalist style.
 
1949-1951 Wijthmen (Ov): church O.L.V. van Altijddurende Bijstand

Towerless basilica in Traditionalist style, largely similar to the church in De Belt.
 
1950-1952 Gendt (G): church St. Martinus

Basilica in Traditionalist style, with westwork-like front. Tower added later.

 
1951-1952 Gaanderen (G): church St. Augustinus

Big towerless basilica in Traditionalist style.

 
1951 Vragender (G): church St. Antonius van Padua

 

 

 

Church in Traditionalist style, incorporating an older tower (G. te Riele, 1871).

 
1952-1953 Reutum (Ov): church H.H. Simon en Judas







Three-aisled pseudo-basilica in Traditionalist style, with front tower. The design originates from 1948 and he church is more in line with Sluijmer's pre-war churches. 
 
1952-1954 Arnhem (G): church St. Willibrordus





Church in Bossche School-style. Wide transept, square crossing-tower above the choir. At the front a small, massive tower, a so-called bell-gable, the first time Sluijmer used such a feature.
 
1953 Enschede (Ov): church H. Hart van Jezus



Also called Ariëns Gedachteniskerk. Wide three-aisled hall-church in Traditionalist style, with bell-gable at the front and side-aisles with seperate gables.

 
1953-1954 Oldenzaal (Ov): church O.L.V. ten Hemelopneming

Towerless basilica in Bossche School-style.

 
1953 Almelo (Ov): chapel St. Elisabeth hospital

Chapel in Bossche School-style.

 
1954-1955 Oosterhout (NB): church St. Paulusabdij
 





Church for a Benedictine abbey.

 
1954-1955 Hengelo (Ov): church Heilige Hart van Jezus

Church in Bossche School-style.

 
1954-1956 Rheden (G): church St. Mauritius










Basilica in Bossche School-style. 
 
1957 Enschede (Ov): church H. Paulus




Box-shaped church with at the front a wall-like portal.

 
1957-1961 Hengelo (Ov): chapel Carmelite monastery

No further details.

 
1958-1960 Almelo (Ov): church St. Christoffel

Three-aisled basilica.

 
1959-1961 Zutphen (G): church Emmanuel

Large boxlike church in modern style. Now an Evangelical church.

 
1959-1962 Enschede (Ov): church H. Michaël

Large boxlike church in modern style. Demolished in 2008.

 
1960-1964 Dronten (Fl): church H. Ludgerus

Large boxlike church in modern style. Demolished in 2000 except for the tower.

 
1961-1962 't Harde (G): church De Goede Herder

Boxlike church in modern style. Demolished in 2011.

 
1962-1963 Haarle (Ov): church St. Sebastianus

Large boxlike church in modern style.

 
1963-1965 Loenen a/d Vecht (U): church St. Ludgerus

Modern church in Functionalist style.

 
1963-1965 Enschede (Ov): church De Goede Herder

Church in modern style. Demolished in 2006.

 
1964-1965 Raalte (Ov): church St. Paulus

Church in modern style, with seperate tower added later.

 
1965-1968 Enschede (Ov): church Verrijzenis des Heren

Church in modern style.

 
1965 Denekamp (Ov): chapel retirement home Gerardus Majella

No further details.

 
1969-1970 's-Heerenberg (G): church Emmaus

Church in modern style.

 
1971 Dieren (G): church Emmaus

Church in modern style.

 
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