Tropenmuseum

The Tropenmuseum, now called the Wereldmuseum Amsterdam, is a museum of world cultures housed in a large building on the Linnaeusstraat in the east of the city. It was built in the 1920s as the Colonial Institute, a centre for the study and promotion of the Dutch colonies, above all the Dutch East Indies, which is today's Indonesia, and the building's grand halls, decorated with reliefs and tiles, reflect that origin. Over time, the institution has changed its outlook, and the museum now offers a critical look at the colonial past and its legacy.

The architecture is impressive. The central hall rises through several floors, lit from above, and galleries run around it, with ornate stonework and details that recall tropical motifs. The building was designed to impress visitors with the importance of the empire, and the sculptures and inscriptions in the facade celebrate trade and colonial rule in a way that now feels uncomfortable. The museum acknowledges this directly, and many displays discuss how the building and the collections were shaped by colonial attitudes.

The collections are wide-ranging. They contain tens of thousands of objects from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific, including textiles, masks, musical instruments, jewellery, weapons and everyday items, as well as photographs and posters. Indonesia holds a special place, with exhibits on batik, puppets, gamelan music and traditional crafts. Other displays deal with the history of colonialism, resistance, slavery and migration, and with the experience of people from former colonies who settled in the Netherlands.

Some exhibitions explore the Second World War in the Dutch East Indies, when the Japanese occupation brought hardship, and the postwar struggle for independence, which led to Indonesia's declaration in 1945 and the Dutch recognition in 1949. Propaganda posters and artworks help to show how history was presented at the time. There are also exhibitions on contemporary subjects, such as fashion, music and global food, and there is a children's section with hands-on activities.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, with closing days on a few public holidays, and tickets can be bought online, which is advisable. Allow two to three hours. It suits visitors interested in world cultures, history and architecture, and it combines well with a walk through the nearby Oosterpark. The tram from the centre takes only a few minutes.