A wooden ship’s mast hangs from a crane in the Brugstraat in Groningen. While the city wakes up on Monday morning, the crane lifts all kinds of heavy items from Museum aan de A to the moving van. The relocation of an entire museum collection is a rare occurrence. What does something like that look like?
A crane lifts the large and heavy objects through the small windows of the Gothic House (one of the oldest houses in the city). It’s a thrilling operation Monday morning. First a ship’s mast, then an anchor and then an old Singer sewing machine slides out.
“Punched For Eternity”
Slowly but surely the mast floats down. Not just any mast, but the top of a late nineteenth-century mast, says curator Wicher Kerkmeijer (60). “It probably stood on a large peat ship that sailed across the Zuiderzee.” Collection employee Maaike Modderman (25) holds her hand over her mouth. Full of excitement, she and her colleagues look at their beloved collection.
Most of the pieces have not moved since this property opened in the 1970s. “The stuff was fastened for eternity,” says volunteer Louise Stutterheim (43). It took a day to get the thing loose, which was stuck with all sorts of cables.
As the clock strikes eight, the number of cyclists increases. Some look up in surprise at the museum pieces. A woman with a dog in her arms quickly walks to the other side of the street, so as not to have to go under the tap. ,,I don’t dare,’ she says while anxiously watching the mast.
Other than moving boxes
Louis Ebbinge (52) looks pensively at the crane and keeps an eye on the traffic. As project leader of the moving company Jan de Jong, he has already handled a lot of ‘old stuff’ (as he jokingly calls the collection). It is different than carrying moving boxes.
Finally, an old and fragile anchor is brought down. As soon as it hangs in the air, Ebbinge jokes: “The earrings are also getting bigger!”
Course change museum
The museum changes course. From a museum about shipping to a museum about the history of Groningen. The name changed from Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum to Museum aan de A. That is why the maritime collection is now being removed. A monster job. Since January, employees and volunteers have been packing about eight thousand pieces.
The museum that was once filled with all kinds of ship models and parts is now empty. What remains are moving boxes, unoccupied display cases and a meter long empty depot.
However, this does not mean that the maritime collection is no longer on display. The masterpieces will return once the building has been made more sustainable and lifts have been installed. Because, says Kerkmijer: “Shipping is an important part of Groningen history.”
Is the big move almost ready? “Well”, Modderman sighs. “The entire ground floor is still full.”