straw board factory 'De Vrijheid'

Since 1875 the north east region of the Netherlands has been known for a florishing industry of producing board. Until about 1975 the base material was straw. This Delft-blue tile tableau showing the former strawboard factory 'De Vrijheid' in Veendam was made in honor of it's 50th aniversary in 1953, and according to the text on the tableau it was a gift then by the employees (in Dutch: 'aangeboden door het personeel') .

  

A lot has changed in the board industry however, and only a few of those factory's in this region still exist today, producing board from waste paper. 

The factory 'De Vrijheid' was closed in 1979. The tile tableau hangs on a wall inside the Veenkoloniaal Museum in Veendam now, as a part of a permanent exhibition about the board industry.

art exposition

In het Veenkoloniaal Museum in Veendam is behalve alles over de geschiedenis van dit gebied, ook moderne kunst te zien. Eén van de exposities (nog tot eind mei) heeft de titel ‘Beweging en poëzie in kleur’.

Apart from facts about the history of this region, the Peat District Museum in Veendam also exhibits contemporary art. One of the expositions (running until the end of May) is named 'Movement and poetry in colour'.

Hierbij worden werken getoond van het Duitse kunstenaarsechtpaar Margit en Rolf Hillen.

It shows the work of the German artist couple Margit and Rolf Hillen.

Veendam Peat District Museum

Midden in de Groninger Veenkoloniën ligt het Veenkoloniaal Museum in Veendam. Drie verdiepingen met diverse exposities vertellen over de geschiedenis van jagers, verzamelaars, turfgravers, de aardappelmeelindustrie, stro en karton.

Right in the centre of the Groningen peat moors you can find the Peat District Museum in Veendam. Inside the three storey building, several expositions tell you all about the history of hunters, collectors, peat cutters, the potato starch industry, straw and board. 

Het museum werd opgericht in 1939, en is sinds 1990 gehuisvest in de vroegere Rijks Hoogere Burger School (RHBS). De oorspronkelijke indeling van de school bleef grotendeels gehandhaafd.

The museum was founded in 1939 and has been housed in the former Veendam High School since the beginning of the nineties. The original layout of the school was maintained for the most part.

leaded glass

Een detail van het glas-in-loodraam in het Veenkoloniaal Museum, in Veendam.

A detail of the leaded glass in the Veenkoloniaal Museum in the town of Veendam.