CULTURE & SHOPPING MUSEUMS
RED STAR LINE MUSEUM The Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp is set to open in 2013. A visit to this new museum will take you back to the time when tens of millions of people left Europe in search of a better life in America. Here, you will meet the passengers of the legendary shipping company Red Star Line. They will take you with them on their journey in pursuit of their dream. Through numerous personal stories told in the authentic buildings, you will experience what migration was all about in those days.
The pièces de résistance of the Red Star Line Museum are the harrowing stories of the more than 2 million Red Line Star passengers. In a unique historical setting, you will become privy to their dreams and fears. You will get to know them at the beginning of their journey and revisit them many times throughout their journey. Historical photographs and footage, unique art nouveau posters, historical marketing gadgets and original Red Star Line objects add to the authenticity of the experience.
“Artists showed their fascination with the migrants and the adventure they undertook” The departure of an ocean steamer always drew big crowds on the quay of the river Scheldt. Artists showed their fascination with the migrants and the adventure they undertook. Antwerpbased artist Eugeen Van Mieghem (1875 – 1930) grew up in a harbour café next to the Red Star Line warehouses. He painted hundreds of portraits of Red Star Line passengers.
DIAMOND MUSEUM
Diamond museum / Musée du Diamant THE BRILLIANTWERP STORY The Diamond Museum has closed its doors at the Astridplein in Antwerp since April 30, 2012. But ‘The BrilliAntwerp Story continues at the Diamond pavilion at the MAS which illustrates why Antwerp is called THE world centre for diamonds, but at the same time presents who is active in the diamond trade and industry, in the past and now. The diamond shop makes the experience complete. The Diamond pavilion also presents the ‘sparkling’ end product.