Huis Van Gijn, Dordrecht

Huis Van Gijn is a museum housed in two monumental buildings on the Nieuwe Haven in Dordrecht, in the Dutch province of South Holland. The main building is the former home of the namesake, Simon van Gijn. The museum is set up so that it seems as if time has stood still and the visitor can see what life was like a hundred years and more ago.

In 2004, the Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund awarded the Museum Prize to this museum. The jury was particularly impressed by the modest manner in which the board and staff redesigned the museum several years ago. The jury report states: The house exudes an atmosphere as if Mr. Simon van Gijn could appear around the corner of the room at any moment, glass of port in one hand and a drawing or engraving in the other. The museum provides an excellent glimpse into the life, passion for collecting, housekeeping, old age, philosophy and environment of a wealthy Dordrecht man. As such, it is not only an ode to Simon van Gijn himself, but rather to a certain person: the rich collector.