MOUNTAIN AND VALLEY – The Africa Museum, now the Berg en Dal World Museum, will close permanently on November 27, 2023. The lease for the museum buildings and land has not been extended. The museum hopes to find a new location somewhere in the region.
After years of conflict with the museum management, the owner of the buildings and land, the Catholic Congregation of the Holy Spirit, has decided not to renew the lease. “We regret that we have to leave this beautiful location,” the museum management said on Thursday.
Restart
The management hopes for a restart at another location in the region. “The Wereldmuseum wants to continue to present relevant exhibitions and programs in this region and would like to remain represented outside the Randstad. To this end, we are investigating the possibilities in the area and are in discussions with various parties.” The management does not say which parties these are and where and when the museum may open its doors again.
Understanding in the region
Entire generations have grown up with the museum, which is a household name in the Nijmegen region and far beyond. The Africa Museum was founded in 1954 and arose from the desire of fathers working in Africa to provide insight into the experiences of the people with whom they worked there. In 2014, the Africa Museum merged with the Tropenmuseum and the Museum of Ethnology, after which an intensive partnership was entered into with Wereldmuseum Rotterdam in 2017. From October 4, 2023, the four locations will have one and the same name: Wereldmuseum.
Parting
To give people the opportunity to say goodbye, the management has decided to open the museum to the public free of charge from November 14 to 26. “We are programming a beautiful and very extensive program of exhibitions and activities in Berg en Dal until November 27. Consider the exhibitions In Brilliant Light and Inspiring Africa. But also workshops and tours during the autumn holidays.”
