Museum Elburg

Elburg - Gelderland

City of Elburg

Elburg is a small fortified town which was part of the German Hansa League during the Middle Ages. Startig in the 15th century the town included an Agnieten Convent, where about 25 nuns lived at the time. The late-Gothic buildings of the convent nowadays house Museum Elburg with is large collection of artifacts recounting the history of Elburg and its surroundings.

Convent of the Agnites

Elburg in the Middle Ages

The pillory was situated in the town center for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse. It dates back to 1600.

A trained soldier is capable of shooting 12 to 15 arrows per minute with a cross bow. The arrows (right side) are called 'bolts': they are short and firm with a square arrow-head and made of ashwood.

Approval of Elburg's coat of arms

Planetarium (wood) and Lunarium (metal) made by the jewish physicist and instrument maker Hartog van Laun in 1806.

As a too high price was asked for the land needed to build a train station, the industrial revolution hardly touched Elburg; the closest train station was built in 't Harde. The further growth of Elburg has been blocked for about 100 years due to this greedy pricing.

This roundel was constructed in the 16th century. In the old days this type of casemates were called the 'killing hole'. Air shafts take care of the disposal of suffocating powder vapor. From these structures it was possible to shoot at enemy soldiers trying to cross the moat.

Interested in pipe organs? Visit the National Organ Museum within this website.

The upper chapel was only used by nuns and thus prevented the nuns to come into contact with the lay using the lower chapel. In the second half of the 16th century, due to the Reformation, the ownership of the convent moved to the municipality. Through the ages the buildings were used as warehouse, vinegar factory, school and auditorium and from 1985 onwards the entire complex serves as the city's museum.

The sceptre was a symbol of dignity of the brotherhood of the Schipluiden Guilt. A bailiff was elected and received the sceptre. And still the Dutch point out the person in charge by saying 'he holds the sceptre'.

The exhibition 'Copperware' was the reason to visit Museum Elburg; the discovery of this small but very well maintained collection provided the icing on the cake.

And on top of it all there was this beautiful contemporary  lamp....

The first settlement is mentioned in 796. In the 13th century Count Otto II of Gelre granted Elburg city rights. In 1368 Elburg was given the priviledge to build its own trading post on the Swedish island Schoonen.

The acreage of the town as determined in 1392, has proven big enough to host all inhabitants of Elburg up to the First World War.

A casemate is a a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. In this case it is part of the roundel 'Het Zwanegat'.

The convent is dedicated to Saint Agnes. The construction started in the first half of the 15th century and took a number of decades. This monastry is equipped with an extraordinary double chapel (dates back previous 1444).

This sceptre was made in the 17th century. In 1749 a little figurine  was added depicting the goddess Fama. The Dutch still use a saying based on the name of this goddess: " being of good name and fame".