Enrichment of Maastricht Museum

Maastricht Museum has been redesigned to better meet visitors’ demands. Hidden stories about General Dibbets, Jan Pieter Minckelers and the Momus are now featured. World War I and World War II are also topics frequently mentioned on the museum’s visitor response forms. The impact of the war on Maastricht and its people is highlighted. For now, the timeline ends in 1992 when the Maastricht European Treaty was signed at the Gouvernement building.

From medieval fortress to Maastricht Treaty
There is also a new focus on Maastricht in the Middle Ages: magnificent burial gifts as well as other objects from the museum’s own collection illustrate the religious as well as secular culture in the economically prosperous city. Maastricht’s history as a fortified city is spotlighted from the perspective of both soldiers and civilians. A large fortress map is being added to the display containing the old city keys linked to the city gates drawn on the map. We explain the significance of the Maastricht Treaty as well as the events in the city through newspaper articles, photographs and personal items on loan from people who were part of the Euro Summit at the time. This part of the museum was designed in collaboration with Studio Europa.

Designer Piet Stockmans
Our beautiful ceramics display cases showcasing pottery from the Sphinx, Mosa and Societé Céramique factories are supplemented by works by designer Piet Stockmans. From 1966 to 1989, he was an industrial designer at the porcelain factory Royal Mosa in Maastricht. Another addition to the Maastricht Museum timeline is the development of pottery in Maastricht from prehistory through the centuries.

So much to see!
At the Maastricht Museum, you’ll discover Maastricht’s history. The timeline of the permanent exhibit takes you through major themes characterising the city’s history, from prehistory, Roman times, the Middle Ages and fortified city and factory town, to the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. We also tell the hidden stories of Maastricht in the form of surprising temporary exhibits.

These new additions and enrichments in response to visitors’ wishes help lay an interesting foundation for the Maastricht Museum. A foundation that can and should be admired and criticised, but also supplemented and changed. After all, Maastricht Museum is there for Maastricht, but it is also added to by the residents of Maastricht.