Barrel Organ Museum Haarlem (Dutch: Draaiorgelmuseum Haarlem) is a museum in Haarlem in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. Next to the presentation of a variety of

barrel organ A barrel organ (also called roller organ or crank organ) is a French mechanical musical instrument consisting of bellows and one or more ranks of pipes housed in a case, usually of wood, and often highly decorated. The basic principle is the sam ...

s, accessory objects and documentation material, there is a ball room where music of the organs is being played. The museum was opened in 1969 by the foundation Het Kunkels Orgel. Since 2014 it has its current location at a

business park A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typicall ...

at the Küppersweg.

History

The history of the museum starts in 1958 when a big dance organ was obtained, made by Marenghi/Carl Frei of organ builder Kunkels from

Roermond Roermond (; li, Remunj or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. Roermond is a historically important town on the lower Roer on the east bank of the river Meuse. It received town rights in 1231. Ro ...

. The goal was the preservation of the organ for the future, for which the foundation Het Kunkels Orgel was brought to existence in 1962. In the course of ten years the organ was restored. At the opening in 1969 it became the central piece of the barrel organ museum. The first establishment was in a former factory building. In the following decades the collection was complemented with own and borrowed barrel organs. Among these, one can find some unique, historic pieces.Draaiorgelmuseum
Het museum
Shortly before the beginning of the next century, the survival of the museum was endangered. For the rescue of the museum a successful protest marsh was held through the city of Haarlem by steady visitors with forty barrel organs. Since 9 May 2014 it is located at a business park at the Küppersweg 3.

Collection and activities

The museum shows a collection of different pieces, like some dance, cafe, street and fair organs. ''Het Kunkels Orgel'' is a concert organ and the biggest of its type in Europe. There are also theater organs, like ''Lady Compton'', that were used for the musical accompaniment of

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

s. The eldest organ in the museum dates from 1900. In the museum concerts with organs are held frequently. One of the used instruments is ''De Lange Gavioli'' that can be heard since a long restoration was fulfilled in 2016. An organ that was borrowed for some years, was ''the Pod'' ( nl), a ''sister organ'' of the ''Schuyt''; the latter one was built by Carl Frei, shortly later than ''Het Kunkels Orgel''. Next to that, the museum frequently organizes barrel organ events.De Archievenman
De archievenman draait door
2008

Impression

References

{{authority control Museums in North Holland Musical instrument museums

History

Collection and activities

Impression

See also

References