The building in which the Frisian Museum of Natural History is housed used to be an orphanage.
Permanent presentation
The building in which the Frisian Museum of Natural History is housed used to be an orphanage. This room was the prostigious room of the custodians. In here, the directors used to gather for meetings. The custodians’ room is the most authentic part of the orphanage, which was founded in 1675.
The orphans who lived here wore noticeable clothing, half dark blue and half light blue. That is the reason why people called them ‘the Blue orphans’ (‘Blauwe Wezen’ in Dutch). Interestingly for this museum, in Dutch the blue orphan (‘blauw weeskind’) is also a butterfly species!
The orphanage was closed in 1953, when only 8 orphans resided here. In some periods, this orphanage housed over 300 children. Together they shared their ups, but also their many, many downs. Since 1987 this building houses the Frisian Museum of Natural History.
