The history of the St. Martinus goes back to the 8th century, when a simple church was founded here by the missionary Willibrord. The current church for the most part appears to have been built between 1454 and 1464. The building always remained in catholic hands, due to it being located in the Duchy of Kleve, and was rebuilt several times. Early 16th century the southern side-aisle was replaced by a wider one which was to serve as a seperate church of Mary, in which a 15th-century sculpture of Mary and Jesus, a pietà, was worshipped. Because the side-aisle served as a seperate church, it had a choir of its own. In the 80-Years War, some say in 1572, others say 1581 or 1582, troops set fire to the spire. When it came down it badly damaged both th church of mary and the St. Martinus. After 1583  repairs began on the St. Martinus. The tower was rebuilt in the old style in c. 1600, only shorter. The church of Mary was not rebuilt; instead a chapel was built within its ruins in the late 17th century. This chapel was either enlarged or replaced in c. 1780. It was demolished in 1865 and replaced by a new side-aisle. The northern side-aisle was lowered to turn the former pseudo-basilica into a basilica. The southern side-aisle was already replaced by the current one in 1909, which was designed by Jos Cuypers and Jan Stuyt. In 1966 the original pseudo-basilican shape of the north side was restored. The pietà was stolen in 1975 and never found again.

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