The daily tour of the museum visits a nineteenth century slum dwelling, the beautiful post office designed by Michel de Klerk, and our museum apartment.
Slum dwelling
The Netherlands is famous for its Housing Act – it was the first country to pass such legislation. It was more than necessary at the time, because the cities were flooding with workers who came from rural areas and settled in the slums of the city centre. Here, whole families lived in a single room and the streets were narrow, preventing daylight and fresh air from coming in. Unhygienic living conditions caused diseases to spread.
A container in the courtyard of Museum The Ship contains a full-size replica of a slum dwelling (16 square meters) to give insight into what it was like to live here. Through the eyes of the occupants of the slum dwelling (a family with seven children), one can experience the history and urgency of social housing in the Netherlands. Additionally, an educational programme has been developed for both primary and secondary schools.
Post office
De Klerk designed not only the facades of Het Schip and the surrounding houses but also the interior of the post office, including the stained glass and the clock on the wall. The room is truly astounding. Where else would an arched, rectangular ceiling cover an irregular, trapezoid surface? Or where else would an otherwise open space be divided by a row of prominent, gaping booths? The deep violet alongside the lavender, restored in the most recent renovation, is equally remarkable. The careful restoration of the post office allows us to admire de Klerk’s only fully preserved interior design in all its glory.
The renovation of the post office was made possible by Dioraphte.
Working-class apartment
The working-class apartment at Museum Het Schip has been restored to its original condition and furnished with authentic working-class furniture from the 1920s. It offers a glimpse into what life was like for residents when Het Schip was first built. It is interesting to compare the working-class lifestyle of the 1920s with how we live today. While the homes in Het Schip greatly improved living conditions for workers at the time, this impact is less obvious now, as items like the television, computer, bathtub, and sofa have become everyday essentials.
Iconic houses
Museum Het Schip's museum house is part of the Iconic Houses Network. The network is a collection of museum houses and architect houses around the world that are open to the public. The network's website provides an overview of all member houses.
