Het Weeshuis in Wijk 00

During our weekend day out, we visited this museum. A staff member gave us a fascinating introduction to what there was to see and how things were run in this orphanage in earlier times. It was financed with half of the estate of Elisabeth van Culemborg. In her will, she stipulated that her estate be used for the 'truly poor'. After her death in 1555, the executors decided to build an orphanage. It was striking that the children were materially well-off there. At the beginning of the 20th century, the children wore leather shoes (visible in a photo), whereas the children of most citizens had no more than a pair of clogs. The regime there was, however, quite strict. When they left, they were given a sum of money to help them make a good start in society.