[The Reformed Church in Aduard: the oldest hospital in The Netherlands].

The present Dutch Reformed Church building in Aduard (near Groningen) is the only remnant of a large Cistercian monastery founded on June 5, 1192. Typological and archaeological investigations indicate that the church building represents originally the hospital facility for the lay brothers of the monastery, which according to the chronicle of the monastery was built in the beginning of the 14th century. This date is confirmed by the architectural style of the building and corresponds to the date of the original tiled floor which showes some sacred patterns. These findings mark this building as the earliest known hospital facility in the Netherlands, ranking among the earliest buildings of its kind in Europe.