Museum De Wemme

THE MUSEUM OWES ITS NAME TO THE OLD HAMLET IN WHICH IT STANDS: WEMMENHOVE.

On a map from 1612, this name is officially used for the first time for a settlement of the hamlet of Drogt. It used to be common for residents to take the name of their settlement. For example, in the first half of the 18th century there is talk of the widow of Albert Rutgers Wemmenhove who had a farm built for her grandson. The settlement then consists of two farms and a poor house

More than a century later, a farm was built again on behalf of a Wemmenhove. Five generations of Wemmenhoves will inhabit the farm over the years. In 1943, a small Wemmenhove was born on the farm for the last time.

The farm changed hands a number of times. Artist Theo Kerstens became the last occupant of the building. He began to renovate the house, slowly but surely losing its character. The farm gave way to a gallery and frame shop. In the empty barn of the farm, the Dutch Handcarts Foundation was allowed to store its handcarts.

In 1983, the municipality of Zuidwolde bought the building and gave it a museum destination. At the same time, the handcart collection of the Dutch Handcarts Foundation was taken over at the same time. There was a Foundation "De Wemme" that ensured that the cultural-historical museum could open its doors in 1988.

On 24 March of that year, the museum 'De Wemme' was officially opened by the then Minister of Welfare, Public Health and Culture, Mr. L.C. Brinkman.

On the night of 3 to 4 September 1999, the farm burned to the ground, except for a few parts of the front house. A lot of valuable material was lost. Thanks to the great efforts of the board and volunteers, the cooperation of many agencies and a spontaneous fundraiser among the population, the museum was able to open its doors to the public again in June 2001.

In 2003, the municipality and province gave the green light for the construction of a new home for (part of) the collection of handcarts.
In addition to an exhibition space, the new extension houses a (non-working) forge and restoration workshop. The 'circulation' around the exhibition space, initially intended as a depot, is now specially used as an exhibition space for the handcarts. The extension opened on 1 April 2004.

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