Do you want to be able to enjoy all the MAS’s objects from the past, from Antwerp and from the world at any time and in any place? Well, you can, because the MAS also has its entire collection online.
Portopolis is the perfect place to discover the port in a playful and interactive way. Immerse your class in the fascinating world of the port. Portopolis offers a free one-hour programme for both elementary and high schools.
The Eilandje was the place where people gathered on their way to the New World. The magnificent Red Star Line steamers moored on the quay just before the bend in the Scheldt River. When the steam whistle announced an impending departure, the quay swarmed with activity. The Eilandje is currently a sought after place in the city.
The MAS manages the largest collection of historical vessels in the country. For years, it was displayed under the shelters next to Het Steen, but after a spectacular relocation operation, the vessels found a new home at the Dry Docks site.
Among the two million Europeans who traveled to America on the Red Star Line was a five year old boy from Russia. The boy’s name was Israel ‘Izzy’ Beilin. He would grow up to gain world-wide fame as Irving Berlin with songs like 'White Christmas', 'Puttin' on the Ritz' and 'There's No Business Like Show Business'.
In 1890, the painter Louis van Engelen depicted a crowd of Belgian emigrants moving across Antwerp’s Nassau Bridge to the district of Het Eilandje towards a ship. The resident population watches them pass by.
The MAS exhibit, 'Cool Japan', took you on a whirlwind tour of the global fascination for Japanese visual culture with icons such as Hello Kitty, Zelda and Sailor Moon.
The exhibition reveals the intimate relationship between the city and food, from the sixteenth century to the distant future. Follow the trail of food in the city and find out how what we eat has left its mark on the map of Antwerp.
In the MAS pavilion, you can see where V-bombs fell on Antwerp and the scars they have left behind, by means of photographs, first-person testimonies and maps. You can even see a real V1-bomb from the MAS collection.
