The Brussels Map Circle

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Brussels Map Circle event

Visit to the Wereld van de VOC exhibition


Den Haag, The Netherlands
Organisation: The Brussels Map Circle

Introduction

The Brussels Map Circle is having a wonderful opportunity to visit the Wereld van de VOC exhibition on Saturday 6 May 2017 from 14.00 to 16.00 in the Nationaal Archief in Den Haag (The Netherlands).
The Nationaal Archief have 1.2 km of archives of the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), the first largest European commerce compagnie operating in Asia, mainly in the Golden Age. UNESCO registered in 2003 this Dutch documentary heritage of the VOC in the category World Memory together with the official archives based in Jakarta, Colombo, Chennai and Cape Town.
For this exhibition fifty unique maps and charts are on display.
We have been offered two guided tours: one in Dutch with the archivist-researcher R.T.M. (Ron) Guleij and a second one in English with Hans Kok who is also advisor and lender for this exhibition as well as Member of our Circle.
Each tour is stricly limited to fifteen (15) participants. The thirty participants will be selected on the basis of the dates of payment of the participation fee.
The program starts with a welcome coffee at 14.00 followed by:
  • the visit of a storage department;
  • a guided tour of the exhibition in English or Dutch;
  • a complementary visit with a tablet in English or Dutch.

After the visit we’ll have a friendly drink in a typical place.

Background

As you know, the VOC was created in 1602, and ended in 1799. The VOC fitted out 4 700 ships; many of them were armed for military purpose. She carried over one million European travellers during these two centuries, passing Cape of Good Hope towards Ceylon, India, Batavia, Japan, China and Formosa.
There were three departure per year for the commercial trade: in October, after Christmas and in April. The voyage out and in needed twenty months. There were three routes in the Indian Ocean but the ships of the VOC used mainly the south way, a bit longer, but better. The captain who could shorten the trip to six months, for one way, got a speed bonus.
The Nationaal Archief Den Haag own around 300 000 maps. Since 1979 in a new building Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 20, they are located between the main station and the National Library

Access by train from Belgium

Important notice: due to engineering works in the Netherlands, InterCity services connecting Brussels with Amsterdam will terminate at Roosendaal from Friday 5 May to Sunday 7 May 2017 included. Passengers travelling from/to the Netherlands that weekend are advised to use Thalys trains, or can change trains in Roosendaal for onward travel via Breda.

Time schedule: SNCB Europe / NMBS Europe

Examples of time schedule via Breda as per 2017-03-16

Liège-Guillemins 07.0108.01
Gent-Sint-Pieters 07.2208.22
Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel-Zuid 07.4508.45
Antwerpen Centraal 08.4509.45
Breda a. 09.4510.45
Breda d. 09.5310.53
Den Haag HS 10.3711.37

Access by car

By car from Brussels: 180 km. Parking in Den Haag

Restaurant for lunch

We propose to meet at 12.00 at an Indonesian restaurant – De Poentjak, Kneuterdijk 16, 2514 EN, Den Haag - for an Indische rijsttafel.
At 13.30 departure for the Nationaal Archief.
Restaurant expenses are borne by each participant. Estimated budget: EUR 30.00.

Brasserie for an after-drink

We propose to meet after the visit for a drink. The location will be given later on.

Other recommended visits

In case you plan to spend a few hours in Den Haag before or after our visit, we recommend :
  • Panorama Mesdag. Panorama Mesdag is a panorama by Hendrik Willem Mesdag. Housed in a purpose-built museum in The Hague, the panorama is a cylindrical painting (also known as a Cyclorama) more than 14 metres high and about 120 metres in circumference. Read more.
  • Piet Mondriaan en Bart van der Leck exhibition. Read more.
  • Mauritshuis. The Mauritshuis is home to the Best of Dutch painting from the Golden Age. Read more.

Locations

See locations on our map

Some interesting links about the VOC

Participation fee

Participation fee: free for Members | accompanying persons EUR 20.00.
IBAN BE52 0682 4754 2209 | BIC: GKCCBEBB

Registration

If you would like to join this guided tour please register here.

Venue: Nationaal Archief, Prins Willem Alexanderhof 20, 2595 BE, Den Haag
Language: English and Dutch
E-mail: info@bimcc.org
Time schedule: 14.00 - 16.00