Colombo Dutch Museum

The Colombo Dutch Museum is a museum that covers the history of the Dutch colonial rule in Sri Lanka.

The two storey colonnaded building on Prince Street, Pettah (Colombo 11) which houses this museum was constructed during the Dutch occupation of Colombo (1656 - 1796) and was the formal residence of the Governor of Dutch Ceylon Thomas van Rhee (1634 - 1701) during his term of office in 1692 to 1697. The building has been used for many different purposes over the years. It was a teacher training college and an institute for the instruction of clergymen between 1696 and 1796. At one time it was the residence of Colonel Count August Carl Fredrick Von Ranzow (1759 - 1844).^[1] It operated as an orphanage under the supervision of the deacons and financed by the Dutch East Indies Company. It was also used as a hospital. It became a barracks in the second half of the 1800s and in 1900 it was used as a police training school, set up by the British.^[1] In 1932 it was converted to the Pettah Post Office. In 1971 following heavy monsoon rains one of the exterior walls collapsed and the building was abandoned. Following protests by the Royal Asiatic Society and the Dutch Burgher Union against plans to demolish the building, in 1973 a committee was established with representatives from the Ceylon Tourist Board, the Department of Archaeology, the Netherlands Alumni Association of Lanka and the National Archives, to restore the building and establish a museum covering the Dutch colonial period.

The restoration of the building commenced in 1977, with financial assistance of Netherlands government, and was completed in 1981. This museum was opened to the public in 1982. This building embodies the unique architectural features of a colonial Dutch town house. The museum while displaying the Dutch legacy with the artefacts including furniture, ceramics, coins and weaponry, portraying the various facets of contemporary life and culture.^[1]

See also

• National Maritime Museum, Galle
• Colombo Port Maritime Museum

References

Colombo
History	History of Colombo Colombo Fort Portuguese Ceylon Dutch Ceylon British Ceylon
Government	Colombo Municipal Council Colombo Town Hall Mayor of Colombo
Geography	Greater Colombo Colombo District Western Province Beira Lake Colombo Harbour
Buildings and landmarks	Historical President's House Old Parliament Temple Trees Galle Face Hotel Old Colombo Dutch Hospital Parks and Gardens Galle Face Green Havelock Park Viharamahadevi Park
Culture	National Museum of Colombo Nelum Pokuna Performing Arts Theatre Colombo Dutch Museum
Sports	SSC Stadium R. Premadasa Stadium Colombo Cricket Club Royal Colombo Golf Club Colombo Sports Clubs Colombo Racecourse Sugathadasa Stadium
Education	University of Colombo Royal College Colombo Ceylon Medical College Sri Lanka Law College List of schools in Colombo

Museums in Sri Lanka
National museums	National Museum of Colombo National Museum of Kandy National Museum of Galle National Museum of Ratnapura
Department of Museums (Subject)	National Museum of Natural History Colombo Dutch Museum National Maritime Museum (Galle) Independence Memorial Museum Folk Museum (Anuradhapura)
Institutional subjects	Ceylon Tea Museum Colombo Port Maritime Museum Currency museum, Colombo Highway museum complex, Kiribathkumbura Hoods Tower Museum International Buddhist Museum Maritime and Naval History Museum, Trincomalee Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum Masks museum, Ambalangoda Museum of Temple of Tooth National railway museum, Kadugannawa Postal museum, Colombo Sri Lanka Air Force Museum S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Museum Walisinghe Harischandra Museum Wax Museum (Sri Lanka)
Department of Archaeology (Regional)	North Central Province Anuradhapura Museum Mihintale Museum Veheragala Museum Isurumuniya Museum Tantirimale Museum North Western Province Panduwasnuwara Museum Puttalam Museum Rajanganaya Museum Yapahuwa Museum Dambadeniya Museum Central Province Kandy Royal Palace Museum Nalanda Museum Pidurangala Museum Eastern Province Batticaloa Museum Dighavapi Museum Seruwila Museum Welgam Vehera Museum Western Province Kotte Museum Southern Province Matara Star Fort Museum Yatala Museum Kasagala Museum Mulkirigala Museum Northern Province Jaffna Museum Vavuniya Museum Uva Province Buduruwagala Museum Maligawila Museum Sabaragamuwa Province Dedigama Museum