Het Hannemahuis

The Hannemahuis - Centre for Harlinger culture and history is a unique combination of a museum and a city archive, partly located in a majestic 18th-century merchant’s house. Next to presentations about the Harlinger history or art, you will also find temporary exhibitions on historical themes and contemporary visual arts. Visit the Hannemahuis and learn more about the way people used to distil jenever at the distillery or get recommendations about the purchase of a 17th-century painting at the art gallery from 1800.

The Hannemahuis as a residential home

The Hannemahuis is one of the earliest houses in the Harlinger town centre. The oldest parts of the house are from the middle of the 16th century. In the first half of the 18th century, the Scheltema family lived in the house. Because daughter Lijsbet married Sjoerd Hannema in 1743, the house became the possession of the Hannema family.

In 1744, Sjoerd and Lijsbet had the facade replaced by a modern clock gable. In 1825, two warehouses next to the house were demolished and were replaced by the current buildings, decorated by a cornice gable. 

The house’s interior is still fairly intact. The panelling in the hall is partly from the 17th century and the ceiling in the beautiful anteroom, 't Zaal, dates from 1825. The mantels in the house are also largely authentic. The mirror above the mantelpiece in the backroom has been hanging there since 1790. The decorations include tools and attributes used by a jenever distiller. The distillery was located in the annexes.

The front room in the house is regularly adapted to the changing wishes with regard to its use. In the last century, changes were made in 1911, 1938, 1988 and 2008.

The building has been in use as a museum since 1957. The Hannema family left the house in 1964, after the death of Leendert Jacobus Hannema. He left the house to the municipality of Harlingen so that the museum he originally founded would be continued.