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.
CLOSED | Once the largest port in the world, today the Port of Antwerp is characterised by colourful containers. It connects the city with the rest of the world. Dive into the history of our port.
The Antwerp Hand biscuits are the most well-known tourist souvenir from the city. In the MAS collection, we find many packagings of the biscuits. However, behind the scenes of the little biscuit, there is more than one story to tell.
FREE ENTRANCE | The Visible Storage gives you a look behind the scenes of the MAS. More than 180,000 collection pieces on tall racks, stacked and labelled, await their turn to be exhibited.
CLOSED | The MAS preserves culturally and historically sensitive Congolese heritage that numbers nearly 5,000 cultural objects. MAS staff, together with Congolese colleagues, investigated the circumstances under which this collection disappeared from Congo. The first results of the study were on display in the Visible Storage.
On May 10, 1940, Nazi Germany invaded Belgium. Just days later, the Nazi flag flew from Antwerp’s cathedral. This permanent exhibition brings to life the impact of World War II on the city and its residents. Through powerful personal stories and objects that once belonged to Antwerp inhabitants, visitors discover experiences of fear and violence, but also of courage and hope. So that we never forget.
CLOSED - The Belgian philosopher Jaap Kruithof (1929-2009) collected 10,000 items, things that other people usually discard. Half of the Kruithof collection - which was donated to the MAS - was given a new life thanks to the visual work of artists Guy Rombouts and Benjamin Verdonck. In the MAS, they created a new installation with the objects.
The MAS has been able to get hold of a few pieces from gay bar Café Strange at an auction. This way, a bit of the bar of Antwerp's icon and café owner Armand in the Dambruggestraat is preserved for the future.
