Until 1578, Amsterdam was a predominantly Roman Catholic city. The veneration of the Sacrament of the Miracle brought with it a lively annual fair, with thousands of pilgrims coming to the city and ensuring a thriving economy.
In 1578, the Protestants took over power in the city Amsterdam from the Catholics. Catholics were forbidden to openly profess their faith, which also meant that all property of the Catholic churches and monasteries was confiscated by the city government. The Begijnen also had to give up their chapel in the middle of the Begijnhof. This church was given to the English Presbyterians by Amsterdam administration in 1607 and has been called the ‘English Church’ ever since. In order to be able to continue to practice their faith, the Catholics founded ‘house churches’, later called ‘secret churches’.
The houses of the Begijnhof were privately owned by the begijnen. They often belonged to influential families in the city. Due to these reasons the houses could not be expropriated by the city administration. Thus, the Begijnhof was the only Catholic institution that continued to exist after the Alteration.