The diving museum De Duikelaar in Nieuwlande receives a fixed, annual subsidy of 25,000 euros from the municipality of Hoogeveen. With that amount, the board can further expand the museum. The city council still has to approve the proposal.
De Duikelaar tells the story of people in hiding in the village during the Second World War. Gerwin Schoonewille, chairman of the museum, cannot believe his luck with the proposal. “We are extremely grateful. With the money we will soon be able to realize more exhibitions and further expand our activities. Without a subsidy, that would be difficult and would take a very long time.”
Since 2017, De Duikelaar has been committed to telling stories of people in hiding and their ‘host families’ in Nieuwlande. They do this with exhibitions and digital presentations. An important task, according to the factions of Municipal Interests and PvdA. They previously suggested that the college should enter into discussions to look at a structural subsidy.
We succeeded. Alderman Mark Tuit, who conducted the talks with the board, emphasizes how important the work of the museum is. “De Duikelaar plays an enormous role in continuing to tell the stories that shape the history of our region. We must learn from this dark period in our history.” The municipality wants to reward the work of De Duikelaar with the money. The council will consider the proposal later this year when it discusses the municipal budget.
The extra helping hand is welcome in Nieuwlande. The museum has always depended on occasional grants and donations. Income came mainly from the sale of entrance tickets, guided tours and activities for groups. The group does this with sixty volunteers and a board that does not get paid.
The museum could not do much extra without the subsidy. And that while costs did rise, for example due to high energy prices. The building was renovated earlier this year. The entrance has been renovated and the exhibition capacity has been doubled. The floors and ceilings of various areas have also been refurbished and the building is more accessible for the disabled.
The costs for the renovation came to approximately 115,000 euros. This renovation was largely paid for through a European subsidy pot, money from the province of Drenthe and other funds. A new exhibition called Mom will come get me. The exhibition is based on a statement by Hermien Post. She was the daughter of well-known resistance fighter Johannes Post from Nieuwlande and was in hiding herself.
Schoonewille and all volunteers have an idea of what they want to do with the subsidy. They want to dig even deeper into the history of the people in hiding. “So see if there are more individual stories to tell from people we don’t know yet. Hopefully we can add them to the exhibition.”
The exhibition Mom will come get me is about children who have gone into hiding. The group also hopes to expand the exhibition. There are also plans to make lesson packs for schools about the history of the village. “Everything to introduce the youth to this important story from the Second World War,” says Schoonewille. “If the teaching material is used in schools, the children may come to the museum. We hope to tap into a young group, because that is really important.”
The museum is also considering hiring a professional for a part of the day, for example to do the marketing. The team is going to work to further develop the ideas. After the summer, it is up to the council to make a choice about the subsidy.