The first Turkish museum in the Netherlands officially opened its doors on September 8 in The Hague. The Turkish Museum of the Netherlands (Turks Museum Nederland) is situated in a former community centre in Moerwijk, a neighbourhood which has traditionally been home to many Turkish people.
The museum highlights the centuries-old relationship between Turkey and the Netherlands as well as the experiences and memories of the first-generation immigrant workers. Its collection includes historical documents, letters, and photos of the first Turkish immigrants.
Highlights of the collection include a letter from Queen Wilhelmina to the first president of the Republic of Turkey, Kemal Atatürk, a portrait of the first Dutch ambassador in Constantinople, and letters about trading privileges. The museum's pieces come from the National Archives of the Netherlands, Turkish organisations, and private collections.
The idea for the museum came about in 2007, when a group of second-generation Turks in The Hague took the initiative to present the history of the first immigrant workers, their parents, to a wider audience.
Under the auspices of the museum, research into Turkish-Dutch relations and the history of the immigrants will be carried out in the documentation centre. The museum, one of many museums in The Hague, also has a conference hall where meetings and film viewings can take place.
Source: The Municipality of The Hague