Vondelkerk fire investigation ends in mystery, police say

How the Vondelkerk in Amsterdam went up in flames on New Year’s Eve is still unknown, police have said, after months of trying and failing to establish a criminal cause for the blaze.

Investigators had looked into whether the fire was started deliberately and whether fireworks were to blame. Local residents were interviewed, video footage examined and tips about possible arson followed up, but none of it produced any evidence, police said.

It could also not be established whether fireworks caused the fire. Much of the forensic evidence was destroyed in the blaze itself, police said, and no traces of fireworks were found. With no leads left to pursue, the investigation has stalled.

Years to rebuild 
The monumental church on Vondelstraat, close to the Vondelpark, was largely destroyed in the early hours of January 1, when its tower collapsed and much of the roof was lost. It was designed by Pierre Cuypers, the 19th-century architect behind Amsterdam’s Centraal station and the Rijksmuseum, and completed in 1880.

The building served as a Catholic church until it closed in 1977 and has since been used for concerts, offices and community events, with church services returning in 2017. It has been owned since 1996 by heritage restoration body Stadsherstel Amsterdam.

Several fundraising drives were launched after the fire. Stadsherstel said more than €180,000 had been raised within a week, and other appeals brought in tens of thousands of euros more. Rebuilding the church is expected to take years.