Meesterlijk gemaakt: Maastricht craftsmanship in four centuries of design and production

A collection with a story
The Wagner-de Wit collection was assembled by the Hague couple Frederik Wagner and Ambrosina de Wit and was later supplemented with Maastricht treasures. The collection shows the breadth of local manufacturing culture and the international influences that played a role in it. After years in storage, the collection is now publicly accessible again for the first time.

Craft and mastery
The exhibition highlights the work of craftsmen in the city, such as gunsmiths, goldsmiths, woodcarvers, and furniture makers. Objects with engravings, ornaments and decorations show the meticulous craftsmanship, but also the long learning processes and skills that were needed to make this work.

From workbench to shop floor
Meesterlijk Gemaakt shows how Maastricht grew in the 19th and 20th centuries from a craft city to a manufacturing city with large factories. The presentation shows the growth of industry as well as the social reality of hard labour and economic fluctuations.

Four centuries of Maastricht manufacturing tradition
Visitors get an insight into four centuries of design, production and innovation. The objects show both design and social context, from periods of poverty to the influence of industrialisation on the city.