Our history

The building was constructed in 1905 for the Dutch Protestant Association, at a time when IJmuiden was growing rapidly and newcomers were looking for a place for liberal-minded preaching. Fundraising was led by Mrs Johanna Theodora Planteijdt; her husband, C.J. Planteijdt, then owner of IJmuiden's largest fishing fleet, financed the construction through a foundation he established for the purpose.

From 21 February 1909, the Mennonite congregation of IJmuiden used the building as its vermaning. It would continue in that role for just over a century, until 1 January 2010. During the Second World War, the parsonage on what was then Noorderkade was struck by a shell, killing two people. The occupying forces used the church building as a stable for horses.

After liberation, the building was recovered and put back into use. In 1981 a thorough restoration began, followed by a festive reopening on 17 January 1982.

In 2009 the Mennonite congregation transferred the building to Woningbedrijf Velsen (a housing corporation), under an explicit agreement that the building would be preserved for at least ten years and not used for commercial purposes. The building has long been regarded as a landmark (beeldbepalend) for Oud-IJmuiden, and local residents valued its preservation.

From 1 January 2019 to 2025, Stichting Citymarketing IJmuiden used the building as its workplace. During those years it hosted meetings, presentations, book launches and other cultural gatherings. When Citymarketing moved out, the building became available again for a new purpose. Stichting SGS Benelux carries forward the spirit of the 2009 agreement: a cultural purpose, no commercial use, and preservation of the building's character.

We are deeply aware that this is a place where generations of IJmuiden residents have come together for the important moments of their lives: baptisms, weddings, farewells, shared song and shared words. We take that history seriously. The character of the building is being preserved, and we are looking for ways to keep the story of the Vermaning alive, in consultation with the Mennonite community and with the neighbourhood.

Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda was born on 26 May 1942 in southern India, in a household where Vedic chanting and music were a daily practice. He was trained by his mother, a yogini, until her passing in 1951, and continued his training under his aunt Venkamma, a master of haṭha yoga.

In 1966, at the age of twenty-four, he founded the ashram in Mysuru that remains his home base today. What began as a small hut on ten acres has grown into a campus with a music hall, a recording studio, a Vedic school, a museum, and one of the largest bird sanctuaries in India.

He is, first and foremost, a musician. He has composed over 3,000 songs in nine languages, released more than 200 albums, and given 366 concerts in 32 countries — at the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, the Kennedy Center and the Dubai Opera House, among others. His work on Nāda Chikitsa, the healing power of music, and on Datta Kriya Yoga is taught internationally.

He holds thirteen Guinness World Records, including the largest music therapy lesson in the world (Sydney Opera House, 6 April 2015, 1,814 participants), the largest gathering of people chanting together at a single venue (128,918 participants in 2015, gathered for world peace), the largest display of bonsai trees (2,649 trees) and the most species-rich aviary in the world (468 bird species).

His work in music and sound has been recognised with four honorary doctorates, most recently a 2026 doctorate in Nāda yoga from Vedic Wellness University in Florida, conferred together with the title “Nāda Yoga Sarvabhauma”. Beyond his music, his work includes education, care for people and animals — his ashram is home to a hospital, schools, a bird sanctuary, a cow shelter and a bonsai garden — and humanitarian service.