About the Hannemahuis

The beautiful Hannema House is named after the family that lived there for over two centuries. Sjoerd Hannema moved into the house in 1743. His son, Jan Hannema (1746-1825), was a gin distiller and had his business behind the residence. The foundations of the distillery can still be seen in the museum. The oldest parts of the front house date from around 1545, and the current monumental facades date from 1744 and 1825. The Hannemas operated saltworks where raw salt was refined. In the early 20th century, the Hannemas also traded in tropical fruits, and an agency of De Nederlandsche Bank was located in the rear house.

The last resident, Leendert Jacobus Hannema (1889-1964), founded the museum in 1957 in the former office of the Sjoerd Hannema firm. After his death in 1964, the front house was also put into use as a museum, and the entire complex came into the possession of the Municipality of Harlingen through a bequest, which has operated the Hannemahuis ever since. The museum collects and exhibits objects and stories of importance to Harlingen's (art) history. In addition to the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions are organized.