Amsterdam Museum - H’ART Museum

In its permanent collection presentation, Panorama Amsterdam: A Living History of the City, the Amsterdam Museum relates the traditional history of Amsterdam alongside counter-narratives or lesser-known and more recent histories of the city. The museum’s approach involves both familiar and seldom-seen works from its collection of more than 100,000 objects. Beyond that, residents and lovers of the city also lend their voices in changing exhibitions that reveal “their” Amsterdam. In particular, these exhibitions and the related programming allow visitors to see how the city is not limited to just one history.

In the permanent, chronological presentation about the histories of Amsterdam, Panorama Amsterdam: A Living History of the City, well-known but also new and untold stories about Amsterdam’s past give an impression of how Amsterdam developed and continues to evolve today. Here the museum displays more than 250 objects, providing visitors with a multifaceted view of Amsterdam’s many histories. Shown are works by classic icons from the city’s collection, such as Lingelbach and Rembrandt, as well as by contemporary and emerging artists like Raquel van Haver, Natasja Kensmil, and Brian Elstak.

The galleries surrounding the main hall are occupied by continually changing exhibitions on various topical subjects. Here, stories from the city as it is today are told together with its residents. The exhibitions are replaced every half year, making room for new storytellers and new narratives from the capital.

Highlighted are themes ranging from fashion, the colonial past, war and conflict, and the origins of New York City (aka New Amsterdam), to homelessness, the women of Amsterdam, and figures from Amsterdam’s history. Moreover, at its temporary home in H’ART Museum, the Amsterdam Museum will continue to host an extensive educational and public program.