Timeline

1874 H.O. Feith Jr. opens the Kabinet van Provinciale Oudheden (Collection of Provincial Antiquities). Its location is an upstairs room in Groningen’s provincial government building.

1890 At the suggestion of the public records keeper J.A. Feith, H.O. Feith’s son, the Museum van Oudheden voor de provincie en stad Groningen (Museum of Antiquities for the Province

1894 The Groningsch Museum opens on Praediniussingel (today the building houses Minerva Art Academy). The building was designed by the Dutch government architect C.H. Peters.

1896–97 Six students organise eight exhibitions of modern art, including work by Vincent van Gogh.

1907 The building is extended with new southern and northern wings.

1921 The Menkemaborg estate in Uithuizen is given to the museum.

1940–45 The Groninger Museum remains open to the public during the Second World War.

1921–66 The curator Minke de Visser enriches the museum’s holdings with an important collection of Asian art.

1955–63 Under director W. Jos de Gruyter, the museum begins to collect work by the artists’ group De Ploeg and contemporary artists.

1978 New director Frans Haks reopens the museum after a renovation.

1987 The state gas company Nederlandse Gasunie donates 25 million guilders to the city of Groningen for the construction of a new museum building.

1989 Director Frans Haks chooses Alessandro Mendini to design the new museum.

1994 Her Majesty Queen Beatrix formally opens the new building.