By Sabina Weistra
UCR Class 2014
On Saturday, September 14, 2013, I decided to take a break from the pile of work in which I was drowning, and discover once again the impressiveness of Middelburg on this year’s Open Monumentendag. At the thought of wandering around in the rain, parts of me protested a little, but luckily my wish was granted.
As I started cycling towards the Zeeuws archives, the sun began to timidly caress my face. I believe the Zeeuws archives were the first surprise of the day. I did not know anything about the place and I had expected a dusty basement and people with lots of wrinkles working there. Instead, I entered a very modern building where a smiling young woman was eager to help me out.
A friend of mine, myself and twenty-three other people got a tour from the director of the archives herself, during which we learned a lot about the van de Perre family. They had built the house, which is now the location of the archives, as their personal palace and, I must say, Mr. and Mrs. van de Perre had some extravagant taste!
The living room was painted in bright purple with gold finish, and massive tapestries dominated the walls. The lightness of the room and its colors were certainly a pleasant sight and I can imagine anyone who works there are inspired by the cheerful atmosphere. What was exciting about the room was the secret door, hidden in one of the tapestries, which made me feel as if I had just entered a fantasy book. I was the hero of the story and I wanted to open the door and get lost in the mysterious labyrinth in the house, meet some magical creatures and reappear from a hole in the ground a couple of hours later. Instead, I just moved on to the next room.
Mr. and Mrs. van de Perre certainly had a great 18th century sense of fashion. The “tuinkamer” (garden room) was decorated with a couple of cute dwarves who welcome the visitors from above the three entrances. I can very much see myself looking at those dwarves and feeling a compelling need to garden.
The archives also have their small planetarium, which is worth a visit. However, if you are a true fan of astronomy I would advise you to pay a visit to the planetarium in Franeker (Frisland) and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Since 2011 the archives have been a part of the UNESCO patrimony, thus belonging to the memory of the world. The Zeeuws archives is one of the few places in the world where the slave trade is thoroughly documented. Among the upcoming activities it will also be possible to follow the whole transaction, step by step: how slaves were taken abroad, sold, and how the ships would come home packed with sugar, coffee, cocoa and much more.
After a very informative tour, it was time for some physical exercise: climbing the Lange Jan! Sadly, I was confronted once again with my poor physical shape. The way down was so much nicer. However, the view from the tower was definitely worth the effort. Middelburg is beautiful from above and all the people looked like laborious ants.
My last stop of the day was the Zeeuws museum. I had been there only once before during IntRoweek; I realized I had missed a lot. Probably the most striking thing for me was the modern atmosphere of the place. The museum succeeds at responding to the dynamicity of the times and the needs of its visitors. Old and new are melted together contributing to the atmosphere of flexibility so that it seems perfectly normal that a portrait of Johan Radermarcher (by anonymous, 1607) is hanging next to a painting of yellow dots on a white background (Piet Dieleman, 2000).
Moreover, the arrangement of the paintings, one above the other on the entire wall, gives the room a futuristic atmosphere. The exposition “Bescherm mij”, “protect me” is certainly also worth talking about. Clothes and accessories represent one of the means human beings use to protect themselves. They do so not only in a literal sense, but also psychologically, socially and spiritually as well. Such a topic was as modern 200 years ago as it is today.
One can hardly deny the role of clothes in the process of knowing where we stand in the world. This choice defines us, and confines us, to a predetermined category. Although the thought of it repels me and makes me want to walk around naked (don’t worry, I will not), it also leads me to realize that I must seek ways to express my freedom elsewhere.
The “Open Monuments Day” was a great opportunity for everyone to explore Middelburg, to learn a bit more about the cultural atmosphere of the place where we live and study. It was also a chance to think a little more about how we fit in this cute little ‘gezellig’ town.
Sabina Weistra, class of 2014, is a Psychology and Anthropology major from Catania, Italy.
