Barrel Organ Museum Haarlem

Barrel Organ Museum Haarlem

Draaiorgelmuseum Haarlem
entrance
Location within Netherlands
Established	1969
Location	Küppersweg, Haarlem
Coordinates	52°23′27.379″N4°39′11.774″E / 52.39093861°N 4.65327056°E / 52.39093861; 4.65327056
Type	music instrument museum
Collections	barrel organs
Owner	Het Kunkels Orgel
Nearest parking	at the street
Website	www.draaiorgelmuseum.org

Barrel Organ Museum Haarlem (Dutch: Draaiorgelmuseum Haarlem) is a museum in Haarlem in the Netherlands. Next to the presentation of a variety of barrel organs, accessory objects and documentation material, there is a ballroom where music of the organs is often played. The museum was opened in 1969 by the foundation Het Kunkels Orgel. Since 2014 it has been at its current location within a business park at the Küppersweg.

History

The museum's origin begins in 1958 when a former dancehall organ ^[1] made by Charles Marenghi & Cie in Paris in 1909 and later restored around 1930 by Carl Frei of Breda was purchased by a group or organ enthusiasts in Haarlem. ^[2] This organ is known as the Kunkels Organ as it was restored by Frei for Kunkels, a fairground operator from Roermond. The goal in 1958 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. ^[3]

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. ^[3]

Collection and activities

The museum shows a collection of seventeen ^[4] different organs including, 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 films. The eldest organ in the museum dates from 1900. ^{[5] [6]}

In the museum concerts with organs are held weekly on Sundays. ^[7] 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. ^[8] Next to that, the museum frequently organizes barrel organ events. ^{[9] [10]}

Impression

video with interview (in Dutch)

video with music

view in the museum

view in the museum

view in the museum

view in the museum

See also

• List of museums in the Netherlands
• List of music museums

References

1. Dahlinger, Fred (October 2005). "Play It Again, Gaviman . . " (PDF). Carousel Organ Journal (25): 36 – via Coaa.us.
2. "Het Kunkelsorgel | draaiorgelmuseum Haarlem". www.draaiorgelmuseum.org. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
3. Draaiorgelmuseum, Het museum (in Dutch)
4. "collectie | draaiorgelmuseum Haarlem". www.draaiorgelmuseum.org. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
5. Geschiedenisweb, Draaiorgelmuseum Haarlem (in Dutch)
6. Radio Museum, Draaiorgelmuseum (in Dutch)
7. "Openingstijden & Prijzen | draaiorgelmuseum Haarlem". www.draaiorgelmuseum.org. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
8. Museum Speelklok, 19 en 20 november: optreden van De Lange Gavioli Archived 2023-04-01 at the Wayback Machine , 23 October 2016 (in Dutch)
9. Rodi, Haarlem Draait Door 2016, 11 May 2016 (in Dutch)
10. De Archievenman, De archievenman draait door Archived 2017-01-08 at the Wayback Machine , 2008 (in Dutch)