NEDERLANDS SCHEEPVAARTMUSEUM

Description

Essentials about the Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum in brief

The Netherlands has always been a seafaring nation and dominated the world’s oceans with its ships in the 17th century. Amsterdam was the most important port and the largest trading center in the world at that time. No wonder that the city also has an important Scheepvaartmuseum (Maritime Museum), where countless exhibits document the long history and tradition of Dutch seafaring.

The history of the Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum

In 1650, three artificial islands were created in Amsterdam for shipyards, housing and warehouses. On the island of Kattenburg the Zeemagazijn (Sea Warehouse) of the Amsterdam Admiralty was built, which was opened in 1656. Until the early 1970s, it served the Dutch Navy as a storage facility for cannons, ship’s equipment and much more.

The Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum originated in the early 20th century from a private initiative and opened its doors to the public in 1922. Since the 1950s, there has been an intensive search for larger quarters for the collection, which has grown considerably. After the Navy no longer had a need to use the Zeemagazijn, the museum moved into the monumental building in 1973. From 2007 to 2011, it was thoroughly renovated and given a new architectural highlight in the form of an inner courtyard covered with thousands of glass fragments.

The exhibition of the Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum

The museum displays countless exhibits related to Dutch maritime history and tradition. The exhibits range from paintings to models and world maps to weapons. The highlight of the exhibition, however, is located in front of the museum building. There, the Amsterdam is anchored, a replica of one of the largest 18th-century Dutch ships that sailed between Amsterdam and the Dutch East Indies colonies. You can go on deck of the Amsterdam and see below deck the conditions under which sailors sailed the seas at that time.