Vestingmuseum Oudeschans

Vestingmuseum Oudeschans

Light yellow brick building with dark red shutters and with a canon in front of it

Museum building in 2014
Location in Groningen in the Netherlands
Established 1987[1]
Location Molenweg 6[2]
Oudeschans, Netherlands
Coordinates 53°08′19″N 7°08′27″E / 53.1385°N 7.1407°ECoordinates: 53°08′19″N 7°08′27″E / 53.1385°N 7.1407°E
Type Local museum
History museum
Visitors 1,100 (2014)[3]
Public transit access Voorstraat
Bus line: 811[4]
Website www.vesting-oudeschans.nl

Vestingmuseum Oudeschans (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈvɛstɪŋmyˌzeːʏm ˈʌudəˌsxɑns]; English: Oudeschans Fortification Museum) is a local museum in the village of Oudeschans in the Netherlands. The museum shows the history of the 16th-century fortification of Oudeschans and has a collection of archaeological findings.

The museum staff consists of volunteers only. Since 2010, the museum no longer receives structural subsidy from the municipality of Bellingwedde. In 2013 and 2014, the museum had 1,100 visitors per year. It is one of the lesser-visited museums in Groningen.

Location

Map of the fortification from the Atlas Van Loon (1649)

The museum is located at the Molenweg in the village Oudeschans in the municipality Bellingwedde in the east of the province Groningen near the Dutch–German border.

The Bellingwolderschans (Sconce of Bellingwolde) was a fortification created in 1593 by William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg during the Eighty Years' War. It was renamed Oudeschans (Old Sconce) after the construction of the nearby Nieuweschans (New Sconce) in 1628. Oudeschans was used for military purposes until 1814. In the 1980s, the fortification was partially reconstructed.[5] In 1991, the fortification became a state protected village area (Dutch: beschermd dorpsgezicht).[6]

In 2009, the museum building underwent a major renovation.[7]

Exhibitions

The museum shows the history of the fortification of Oudeschans and of other fortifications in the area.[8][7]

On display in the museum are archaeological findings from the 17th and 18th century, such as pottery, household objects, shoes, weapons, and ammunition.[8][7] There are information panels and a video presentation in Dutch and German.[8]

The museum also has temporary exhibitions.[8]

Administration

Year Visitors
2008 1,000[9]
2009 N/A
2010 1,500[10]
2011 750[10]
2012 800[10]
2013 1,100[10]
2014 1,100[3]

The museum staff and board consist of only volunteers.[11]

On 1 July 2010, the municipality of Bellingwedde stopped subsidizing the museum as a result of austerity measures.[12]

Vestingmuseum Oudeschans is one of the lesser-visited museums in the province of Groningen. In the years 2010 to 2014, the museum had 750 to 1,500 visitors per year.[3][10]

The museum is a member of Museumhuis Groningen (Groningen Museum House),[13] an umbrella organization for museums and heritage institutions in the province of Groningen.[14]

References

  1. ↑ (Dutch) Friggo Visser, "De heimelijke geneugten van een schoolhoofd", Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 1988. Retrieved on 12 June 2014.
  2. ↑ (Dutch) Contact, Stichting Vesting Oudeschans. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 (Dutch) Bezoekcijfers erfgoedinstellingen Groningen, Museumhuis Groningen, 2015. Retrieved on 14 February 2015.
  4. ↑ (Dutch) Bushalte Voorstraat, Oudeschans, 9292. Retrieved on 24 December 2014.
  5. ↑ (Dutch) De vesting, Stichting Vesting Oudeschans. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.
  6. ↑ (Dutch) Overzicht van aangewezen en in procedure zijnde stads- en dorpsgezichten, Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, 2013. Retrieved on 8 February 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 (Dutch) Vestingmuseum Oudeschans weer geopend, Marketing Groningen, 2009. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 (Dutch) Vestingmuseum, Stichting Vesting Oudeschans. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.
  9. ↑ (Dutch) Bezoekcijfers musea aangesloten bij Museumhuis Groningen, Museumhuis Groningen. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 (Dutch) Bezoekcijfers erfgoedinstellingen Groningen, Museumhuis Groningen, 2014. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.
  11. ↑ (Dutch) Stichting Vesting Oudeschans, Stichting Vesting Oudeschans. Retrieved on 11 June 2014.
  12. ↑ (Dutch) "Vestingmuseum Oudeschans verliest subsidie", Dagblad van het Noorden, 2010. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.
  13. ↑ (Dutch) Leden Museumhuis, Museumhuis Groningen. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.
  14. ↑ (Dutch) Over ons Museumhuis Groningen. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.

External links

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