The Laurenskerk is the only remnant of the medieval city of Rotterdam. It was built as a Roman Catholic church between 1449 and 1525 and became Protestant after the Reformation in 1572. It is a basilica and was the first all-stone building in Rotterdam.
Hendrick de Keyser designed a wooden spire added in 1621, but it was demolished in 1645 because of poor-quality wood. A stone cube added around 1650 proved too heavy, and new piles were driven so that the tower stood straight again by 1655.
The Rotterdam Blitz of May 14, 1940 heavily damaged the church, and only the tower and walls survived. Queen Wilhelmina halted calls for its demolition. J. J. P. Oud proposed keeping only the tower, but the plan was rejected. Queen Juliana laid the foundation stone in 1952, and the restoration was completed in 1968.
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