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Since the 1960s, the municipal museum the Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom has occupied the city palace of the same name. Since then, its collection – which originally focused on local history – has grown into a representative collection of regional art and culture through the ages. It also reflects the city’s historical development from Roman times to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It focuses specifically on the themes of fairs, processions, and Carnival, since Bergen op Zoom has rich traditions in these areas. Other topics include the Marquises of Bergen op Zoom, the city’s fortifications, and its pottery production. In addition to archaeological finds, prints and drawings, textiles, and applied arts – from furniture to silver – the museum owns an important painting collection. Highlights include works by Hans Bol, Pieter I Claeissens, Gerard van Honthorst, and Jacob de Wit, as well as by modern masters such as Carel Willink and Pyke Koch.
Bart van Eekelen, Curator (April 2023)