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Small souvenirs of a great disaster

Memories of December 16, 1944

V-bombs hit Antwerp hard in the winter of 1944-45. The blast at Cinema Rex was the deadliest bomb strike in history. The City at War exhibition features a large V1 practice bomb, surrounded by small, personal souvenirs. They show how deeply the attacks affected the lives of residents.

A PLAYLIST

This year, we are creating the city's playlist for the Altar of Antwerp. This playlist will consist of songs that city residents bring in. Each song is linked to a moment, a person or a feeling that the participant wants to evoke.

Belgian emigrants

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 story of the site

Along the frayed fault line between the city and port lies a raw and rusty area. For many Antwerp residents, this represents a blind spot on the map. However, this area oozes history linked to the once bustling in-city port.

19th century dollhouse

In preparation for the family exhibition Anybody home?, the MAS had a 19th-century wooden dollhouse restored. The house and its furnishings were carefully refurbished.

Objects in the exhibition

Except for a dozen or so loans, all the pieces on display in the exhibition come from the MAS collection. The objects have been chosen for what they portray, their significance or their (historical) story.

The MAS has many more stories to tell

In the exhibition, you can listen to twelve stories from Antwerp and around the world. But the MAS has collected many more. Read a few more here.

6 highlights from the exhibition

‘100 x Congo’ wins the 'International Exhibition of the Year’ award

We are very proud to announce that the exhibition '100 x Congo. A century of Congolese art in Antwerp' has been chosen as 'International exhibition of the year' by the British Museums & Heritage Awards. 

In collaboration with Antwerp families

The MAS, together with a number of key partners, collected stories from Antwerper citizens about what a "home" means to them. A dozen families collaborated on the exhibition for a year.