The Oud Winschoten Foundation is almost home again. Storing museum pieces is already costing Oldambt several tens of thousands of euros.

Interviews with the municipality of Oldambt showed that in a few years the foundation will have permanent accommodation at Halte Democracy, where the local parliament is currently concluding its meetings. “We think it’s a great location and space, but we’re not going to share this with Slag bij Heiligerlee and the Cultuur Historisch Centrum (CHC) in Oldambt. The space is too small for this. We go there alone or not at all ”, explains Trijnko Pelgrim, president of the Oud Winschoten foundation.

The Oud Winschoten Foundation wants to use Pabo classrooms for museum pieces

Until then, the municipality of Oldambt wants to make the former Pabo training center available on the Stikkerlaan in Winschoten. “We have taken an option on a number of rooms, plus the auditorium, where we can organize exhibitions and conferences.”

The agreement is not yet black and white. But Pilgrim also knows that the municipality is committed to quickly removing the museum pieces from the repository. Because storage costs a lot of money. ,, We run ourselves in August so that we get the key. We will not move in until the building is properly secured. We still put really valuable coins in a safe, but the building also needs to be secure. ”

Pilgrim had hoped that the tourist office would also be housed there, but the institution itself has indicated that it does not want to go there. This also applies to CCH.

Storing museum pieces is already costing Oldambt tens of thousands of euros

The Oud Winschoten Foundation has been without housing for more than two years. After having to leave the Lucas Hospital in a hurry at the end of May 2019, all the historical documents and archives are deposited. The municipality pays for the storage of silver and gold coins and other valuable historical objects.

Alderman Erich Wünker (VVD) of the municipality of Oldambt says that the municipality has already paid several tens of thousands of euros for the storage of the objects. “The Pabo building is owned by the municipality, so as far as we are concerned, the items will be transferred as quickly as possible. Then the storage will not cost us any more money.

Wünker believes that it is premature that the Oud Winschoten Foundation has already vetoed the sharing of Halte Democracy with other institutions. “We still have three years left. So there is a lot of room to talk about the future.