Vestingmuseum Oudeschans

Vestingmuseum Oudeschans (Oudeschans Fortification Museum) is a local museum in the village of Oudeschans in the Netherlands. It shows the history of the 16th-century fortification of Oudeschans and has a collection of archaeological findings. In 2013, the museum had 1,100 visitors.

Exhibitions


The museum shows the history of the fortification of Oudeschans and of other fortifications in the area.

The Bellingwolderschans (Sconce of Bellingwolde) was a fortification created in 1593 by William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg during the Eighty Years' War. It was renamed Oudeschans (Old Sconce) after the construction of the nearby Nieuweschans (New Sconce) in 1628. Oudeschans was used for military purposes until 1814. In the 1980s, the fortification was partially reconstructed. In 1991, the fortification became a state protected village area (beschermd dorpsgezicht).

On display in the museum are archaeological findings from the 17th and 18th century, such as pottery, household objects, shoes, weapons, and ammunition. There are information panels and a video presentation in Dutch and German.

The museum also has temporary exhibitions.

Administration
In September 2009, the museum was reopened after a major renovation.

On 1 July 2010, the municipality of Bellingwedde stopped subsidizing the museum as a result of austerity measures.

Vestingmuseum Oudeschans is one of the lesser-visited museums in the province of Groningen. It had an annual total of 1,500 visitors in 2010, 750 visitors in 2011, 800 visitors in 2012, and 1,100 visitors in 2013.

The museum is a member of Museumhuis Groningen (Groningen Museum House), an umbrella organization for museums and heritage institutions in the province of Groningen.