Alderman Bert Nederveen symbolically opened the Open Monument Day Westerkwartier last Wednesday in the monumental Iwema Steenhuis in Niebert in the cultural triangle Nuis-Niebert. The start of the Heritage Day is Saturday morning September 9 at 10.00 am. The annual theme is ‘Living Heritage’.
No less than 45 monuments open their doors that day with great activities. Every year, in addition to the relatively well-known monuments, there are also some ‘hidden’ treasures. This year, for example, the Iwema Steenhuis deserve extra attention because of the annual theme ‘Living Heritage’, which comes into its own in the surrounding bocage landscape and the indoor mill and bakery museum.
Program booklet
Nederveen received help from volunteers from Iwema Steenhuis during the opening on Wednesday. He received the program booklet, which was carefully made by Ruud de Jong and Lex van Wijngaarden, both board members of the Open Monumentendag Westerkwartier foundation. That booklet has been put on the website by Lieke van Poucke. You can read more about the participating monuments on the site. Nederveen grew up in a baker’s family. He felt the indoor bakery museum as coming home.
Stone houses are rare
Stone houses are rare because in the whole of the Netherlands only a few have survived intact. The stone house in Niebert is therefore the only one in Groningen, located on an ancient walking and cycling path called ‘t Pad. The ‘museum ‘t Steenhuus’ is housed in the attached barn of this stone house. Within the walls of the museum are two permanent craft exhibitions. One for the baker’s trade and one for the painter’s craft. There are also various crafts with associated utensils and the former middle class is also well represented. In addition, there is a new changing exhibition every year.