Collection

Hugo Kaagman - The Blue Fish Vendor - Photograph: Mariel Kolmschot

The Zuiderzee Collection at the Zuiderzee Museum is a living treasure trove of stories. Since the 1950s, the museum has been collecting objects, buildings, and memories that together tell the rich cultural story of the Zuiderzee region. From colourful traditional costumes and hand-painted furniture to sturdy fishing boats, tools, and everyday items, each piece brings life around the former Zuiderzee closer to you.

The collection continues to grow, as new acquisitions – from special donations to contemporary artworks – provide a fresh perspective on life by the water. This creates a multifaceted picture of the past, as well as the enduring significance of the Zuiderzee today.

Many of the objects can be viewed online at zuiderzeecollectie.nl. Here, you will find thousands of items, photographs, maps, and documents that together bring to life the history of the Zuiderzee region.

Discover the Zuiderzee Collectie

The collection is more than just tangible objects: it also lives on through stories. At mijnzuiderzee.nl, people share their personal memories, family traditions, and anecdotes about life by the water. All these stories form a growing digital archive of emotion and heritage: a contemporary reflection of the bond between people and the sea.

Whether you wander through the village, visit the Treasure House, or explore the stories online, the Zuiderzee Museum’s collection shows how the past continues to live on in the present.

Discover the Zuiderzee Stories

The Treasure House

Step across the threshold of the Treasure House and enter the treasure trove of the Zuiderzee. The Zuiderzee Museum’s rich collection has been gathered since the 1950s and continues to grow. Colourful traditional costumes, hand-painted cupboards and tables, along with tools and everyday objects, bring the past to life.

The Zuiderzee village

In the Zuiderzee Village, you experience history with all your senses. You can smell the scent of freshly smoked fish, hear the blacksmith’s hammer striking, and watch craftsmen at work. You’ll meet residents who share their daily lives with you: a rag-and-bone man displaying his wares, a group from Urk telling their stories, or a fisherman guiding you around his boat. The Zuiderzee Village buzzes with activity, as if the Zuiderzee had never disappeared.

Request a loan

Loan agreements play a vital role in making collections and objects from the National Collection accessible to as many people as possible. The Zuiderzee Museum regularly lends collection items to small and large, national and international museums and heritage institutions, and supports the ‘Smarter Lending’ principles of the Museum Association.

Donating objects

The Zuiderzee Museum’s rich collection has been gathered since the 1950s and continues to grow. It is also possible to donate objects to the Zuiderzee Museum’s collection.

From de Staffordshire dogs to het Jacket made of chintz. Discover the online collection of the Zuiderzeemuseum.