What happened to the Rijksmuseum collection during the war?
The Rijksmuseum’s director at the time, Schmidt-Degener, already decided in 1939, after the mobilisation was announced, to take all of the important works of art to safety. They were moved to the national air raid shelters near Zandvoort and Heemskerk. In 1942 the works were moved again, this time to new hiding places nearby Steenwijk and Maastricht. Not all of the works were removed from the museum, however. The museum remained open to the public during the war. To learn more about this topic, see the book ‘The Rijksmuseum in wartime’, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam 1985 (authors: J.Baruch and L. van der Horst). Visitors may look through the book in the museum library. What is there for children to do in the Rijksmuseum? Children and school groups of various ages can take part in museum searches, there is a Sesame Street audio tour for pre-school children, and a range of interesting courses is offered. Go here for an overview of the courses on offer. Does the Rijksmuseum have a place to get a
