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The first church in Antwerp dedicated to Saint Walburga was located at ‘het Steen’, near the river Scheldt. It dated back to the eighth century and it was there that Rubens painted his version of the Crucifixion in 1610 (which now can be found in the cathedral of Antwerp). This Saint Walburga church was demolished in 1815

The current Saint Walburga church, in the Volksstraat, was constructed in 1936 based on plans by architect Flor Van Reeth. The pastor at that time wanted a contemporary and accessible church. This modernistic hall church is now one of the most important works of the ‘Pelgrimsbeweging’, a group of Flemish, Catholic artists from the interwar period. The church became protected heritage in 1995 and was restored thoroughly in 2007.

The church has a plain, brick facade decorated with cornices and a remarkable western tower. There are stone reliefs with kneeling angels on the front and side facades of the church. The entrance gates are decorated with sculptures of Saint Walburga. There is a winter chapel and an organ loft on the west side of the church and a pentagonal choir is facing east. The rectangular nave has an impressive coffered ceiling.

Some famous interwar artists designed the furniture and the artwork. Simon Goossens made the reliefs on the facades as well as the relief of Saint-Walburga above the altar, the Stations of the Cross and the Pieta. The colourful stained glass windows were created by Eugène Yoors, Leon Vingerhoets and J. Weygant.

The sculptures of Our Lady and child (1954) and a statue of Christ (1956) were made by E. Jacques. A statue of Mary, originating from the previous church, was made by F. Deckers around 1906. The organ was built by G. D’Hondt in 1940 and decorated with an organ front by Van Averbeke. Rie Haan designed the main and Maria altar and the triumphal cross.

Source : Inventaris van het Bouwkundig Erfgoed (VIOE).

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