History Museum

A difficult start

The Volendam Museum was officially opened on Saturday, March 12, 1977, after the Volendam Museum Foundation was notarized the day before, on March 11, 1977. The visitor can become acquainted with the rich history and folklore of Volendam, which is probably the most sung about, painted, photographed, filmed and visited of all places in the Netherlands.

Long before 1977, people with a warm museum heart took initiatives to create a Volendam Museum from which Volendammer history and folklore could be propagated and in which goods relating to the Volendammer community could be housed. The aim of the Oud Volendam association, founded on January 27, 1967, was to create a Volendam Museum, but for the time being the search continued for a suitable location. An opportunity to form a branch of the Zuiderzee Museum in Volendam with a government subsidy of 1 million guilders was not taken up by the board. m

In 1968, the Oud Volendam Association was able to purchase the Volendammer Kwak VD 41 through a fundraising campaign among the population, which was sold to the municipality a year later for 1 guilder. There was no blessing on the boat because it sank in the harbor of Edam and later burned in Groningen. From April 1969 onwards, no more membership meetings were held and on September 27, 1969 the then board met for the last time, so that the plans to create a Volendam Museum were abandoned.

Volendam Museum in the old sister monastery

The establishment and realization of the Volendam Museum came to fruition when the top floor of the old sister convent became empty in 1975 to be converted into a temporary museum space by a working group. A financial door-to-door campaign led by. Former chairman Wim Keizer provided a donation of 18,000 guilders for the renovation and 2,000 buyers of the Premiefoto were registered. After the action in October 1975, the top floor was rented, but after 5 months not much had happened.

In 1976, a working group took up the job of converting the top floor of the monastery into a museum space. With the help of the business community and many volunteers led by the then manager Klaas Mol, the Volendam Museum was opened on Saturday, March 12, 1977 by the founder of Oud Volendam, Cor Karels. The first exhibition was about the history of Volendam and was a great success. To make the museum burglar-proof, high costs had to be incurred, but a loan of 109,000 guilders for which the new board members were jointly and severally liable provided a solution. The loan was repaid in a short time through campaigns among the Volendammer population.

The Volendam Museum was housed in the old nunnery until May 3, 1986, when it had to make way for the Gouwzee nursing home. The museum inventory was stored in various places until a suitable space was found for a new Volendam Museum. The then councilor Siem Veerman, on behalf of the municipality, offered the museum board to house the Volendam Museum in the vacant White-Yellow Cross building, which would be realized with a municipal financial contribution and a lot of volunteer work.

To the Zeestraat

An incredibly busy time began for the board members and volunteers. The existing building had to be demolished, renovated and furnished as a museum and housing for the tourist office. With the support of the municipality, province and other authorities, the business community, regional curator, architects, contractors, generous donors and groups of volunteers, something beautiful has been created that everyone with a museum heart can be proud of. Something that many did not think possible became reality through the efforts and cooperation of the entire community.

In the meantime, on November 2, 1989, the first pile was driven for the expansion of the Volendam Museum, for which a long and difficult road still had to be covered financially and in terms of volunteer work. On Saturday, March 16, 1991, the mayor of Edam-Volendam was able to open the new Volendam Museum on behalf of the entire Volendam community.

In addition to the Volendam heritage, the Volendam Museum has had a unique house within its walls since 1995 in the form of the renovated Cigar Band House, which contains mosaics composed of 11 million cigar bands of world-famous buildings, coats of arms of provinces, capitals, etc. After it dates from 1946/47 house was offered for sale in 1993, the museum board took it over for 60,000 guilders, after which, through the renewed indispensable efforts and cooperation of many dozens of volunteers, the business community, sponsors, donations and government, a new wing was built at the Volendam museum, complete with one of the Drents Museum adopted climate control system.

Regional museum with an extensive collection

The Volendam Museum offers a permanent exhibition of Volendam traditional costumes, paintings, old interiors, the botterzaal with the forecastle of a full-size botter, ship models and the Cigar Band House. There is also an annually changing theme exhibition. There are also film screenings about old Volendam and guided tours are given on request.

To further involve school-aged youth in the history of Volendam, educational activities take place together with primary schools. During the youth week in the autumn holidays. hand skills are practiced in the form of braiding ties and making mobiles and making mosaics from cigar bands around a historical theme.

The museum is centrally located with a tour bus stop right next to the museum. The building is easily accessible for seniors and disabled visitors and we also have a disabled toilet. The Volendam Museum is fortunate to have numerous supporters and sponsors. The board is proud of its volunteers because without them the Volendam Museum cannot be maintained.