Staten-College
In the stately building with the stepped gable at the market square, the Committed Councils of West Friesland and the Noorderkwartier once met. This was an important regional administration consisting of the seven cities of West Friesland, which Hoorn belonged to at the time. The building was named Statencollege and has been here since 1632. The stone lions on the steps of the stepped gable each present one of the seven city arms. Now the West Frisian museum is housed in this building.
The history of the other, adjacent buildings of the Westfries museum goes a bit further back. In 1994 the museum expanded to the adjacent houses. These were built in the fifteenth century, but in the eighteenth century they were refurbished in classicist style. In 1953 the original medieval cellar vaults of these houses were rediscovered by the museum. The buildings are well maintained and are now also used as an exhibition space.
The Westfries Museum has decorated this former administrative building with a series of period rooms full of art, crafts and objects from the Golden Age. The beautiful interior fits seamlessly with the collection. In addition to the museum's cultural-historical dress, important stories are told about Dutch history. The Golden Age is a time in which the Netherlands acquired much wealth through trade, although this was often accompanied by violence. The Westfries Museum is not afraid to deepen this colonial history and build a bridge between the discussions of the present and the events of the past.