From post office to museum
From post office to museum showcasing art from 1700 to date
Many Venlo residents born before 2000 can still remember it clearly: the post office at Keulsepoort. A place where you came to post letters and packages or to buy sheets of stamps. In 2009, the post office closed its doors for good. Our building at Keulsepoort was built in 1939, but the history of Venlo’s post office started long before 1939.
The Venlo post office: a Tegelen sub post office
In the early 18th century there was already a post office at Keulsepoort in Venlo. This post office was primarily a sub post office of the national post office in Tegelen. The services of the Venlo post office were cheaper than in Tegelen at that time, but incoming and outgoing mail was not always handled with care. The people from Venlo therefore often preferred to post their letters and parcels, or collect their post in Tegelen.
Many changes in the centre of Venlo
Around 1760, the post office of Venlo moved from Keulsepoort to Klaasstraat, to the building that now houses Eetcafé de Brasserie. The post office then moved to the home of postmaster Joannes Conraetz at the Parade. For a long time, the post office was located at De Gouden Leeuw in Vleesstraat, and for a little in Houtstraat, at the former Zwijnshoofd hotel.
The first ‘new’ post office at Keulsepoort
In 1871, the national government decided to build a post office in Venlo on the corner of Keulsepoort and Hamburgersingel (where Deken van Oppensingel is located). On 1 May 1880, the first ‘new’ post office was inaugurated at Keulsepoort.
The second ‘new’ post office at Keulsepoort
The post office was refurbished and renovated several times. After fifty years of loyal service, in 1930 it was labelled as ‘extremely unsuited’ for use as a post office. The building was too cramped, too dark and too cluttered. It was therefore demolished and in 1939 it was made into a monument where museum van Bommel van Dam is located to this day. On 27 September 1941 the ‘new’ post office was opened. The building, built by architect Hayo Hoekstra, is built in the traditional style. On the façade of the building you can admire the faces of Hubert Goltzius, Michaël Mercator and Erycius Puteanus, all famous figures from Venlo. You can also see traces of the history of Venlo, the coat of arms of Limburg and scenes depicting the city’s past. The ornamental elements were designed by the sculptor Charles Vos.
Kitchens and an emergency café in the basement
The post office emerged almost intact from the Second World War. Immediately after the liberation, chefs from the American army converted the post office basement into kitchens. For a few years, one of the basements of the post office was used as an emergency cafe.
The walls of the building were decorated with pictures of the city’s history. On the first floor of the post office, there was a small canteen for the staff.
Phased changes and final closure
After many years, the post office was renovated in three phases due to a lack of space. In 1967, the hall was revamped, the number of post boxes reduced and the number of ticketing booths increased. The door from Nassaustraat to the surrounding areas was later closed. Finally a new wing of the museum was built at Deken van Oppensingel, turning the originally L-shaped building into a square. In 1978, the building was leased out. It was still used as headquarters, but the post was no longer sorted at Keulsepoort. In 1987, a new building was erected for this purpose in Blerick. By 2009, the building is was no longer used for public purposes and it was sold to a property developer.
2009 to date
Part of the post office was acquired by the municipality of Venlo, which decided to use it to house museum van Bommel van Dam. In 2021 the museum moved to the fully renovated former post office building.