In a haunting start to 2026, the iconic Vondelkerk Church in central Amsterdam was engulfed by a catastrophic fire shortly after midnight as celebrations for New Year’s Eve wound down.The blaze, which emergency services have described as one of the most severe structural fires the city has faced in decades, has reduced a 154-year-old architectural treasure to smoldering wreckage.The fire began in the early hours of January 1, 2026, just minutes into the new year. Residents reported seeing thick plumes of smoke rising from the church tower near Vondelpark, prompting an immediate regional emergency response. Within hours, the church’s tower and spire had collapsed into the core of the building.BREAKING:The tower of the neo-Gothic Vondelkerk Church in Amsterdam has collapsed aftera fire engulfed the church just after midnight.It’s believed that youth gangs with fireworks are behind the blaze. pic.twitter.com/cTKOlfNluY— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 1, 2026Het instorten van de toren gefilmd door nog een omstanderhttps://t.co/BuFfztkJcI pic.twitter.com/JIa5HVCMVy— AT5 (@AT5) January 1, 2026Brand rond #Vondelkerk wordt door @BrandweerAA en korpsen uit de omgeving nog steeds bestreden. Wordt gesproken door hulpverleners over instortingsgevaar. pic.twitter.com/qTWzaMulVg— Mascha de Jong (@maschadejong) January 1, 2026More from NOS:The cause of the fire at the Vondelkerk, construction of which began in 1872, is still unknown. Local residents are rumored to have fired fireworks into the tower, but the fire department cannot yet confirm this.Many people came to watch the fire. As a result, emergency services sometimes had difficulty reaching the fire, according to the Amsterdam-Amstelland Safety Region.The building served as a Catholic church until 1977. Nowadays, the space is used for special occasions and by small businesses, according to a website of the municipality of Amsterdam. The Liberty Church also held Sunday services there.Originally constructed in 1872 in the Neo-Gothic style by famed architect P.J.H. Cuypers, Vondelkerk stood not only as a testament to the Netherlands’ rich religious and architectural history but also as a symbol of continuity through centuries of European cultural evolution.The post Another European Landmark Lost: Historic Vondelkerk Church Burns on New Year’s Eve (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.