The H.H. Laurentius en Elisabeth, Rotterdam

Situated on Mathenesserlaan in Rotterdam, the HH. Laurentius and Elisabeth Cathedral stands as a significant Roman Catholic edifice. Executed in the neo-Romanesque architectural style, its conception can be attributed to P.G. Buskens. Commencing in 1967, this sacred structure assumed the role of the cathedral for the Diocese of Rotterdam.

The cathedral's construction unfolded across two distinct phases. The choir, transept, and nave took shape from 1906 to 1908, while the imposing twin-towered facade emerged between 1920 and 1922. The church endured its first brush with wartime destruction during a British aerial assault on October 3, 1941, resulting in damage to the entrance, roof, and dome. Further harm was inflicted upon one of its aisles during an air raid targeting the Sicherheitsdienst building on Heemraadssingel on November 29, 1944. The post-war period saw these damages meticulously repaired.

Originally christened as the Sint-Elisabethkerk (Sint-Elisabethkerk), the church initially functioned as a parish place of worship. Rotterdam ascended to the status of a diocese in 1956, prompting the selection of the Saint Ignatius Church on Westzeedijk as the diocesan cathedral. This establishment then took on the name of the city's patron saint, Laurentius.

Subsequently, in 1967, Saint Elisabeth's Church transformed into the official cathedral of the Diocese of Rotterdam, and its nomenclature was revised accordingly. Notable modifications occurred within the cathedral's interior, with certain elements adorned in white paint. Yet, a restoration initiative undertaken during 2010-2011 aimed to recapture the interior's appearance as closely as feasible to its pre-1960 state.