The Broederenkerk was built as the church of a Dominican monastery that in 1293 was founded by Margaretha of Flanders. The church itself was built in 1306-1307 and is remarkably similar to the Dominican's church in Maastricht built several decades earlier, except that that church was built in marl instead of brick. The basilican nave has brick vaults which on the outside are supported by heavy buttresses and flying buttresses. A remarkable feature of the interior are the blind niches with traceries; perhaps a very simplified version of the fake triforia in the church in Maastricht?
Like many early monastery churches, this one has no tower. The current bell-tower on the roof is an addition from 1772, when the church was used by the Walloon protestant community. It was designed by Teunis Wittenberg. In 1826 the building became a regular Dutch protestant church, after which a new portal in neo-Classical style was built. The church was damaged in 1945 and repaired from 1948 until 1953. In 1983 it became a public library.