mission and vision

MIssion

The Ypres Museum is an open heritage centre about and for Ypres and the Westhoek region. It tells the story of the city and its surroundings: from its beginnings, through medieval Ypres as a leading European city, to the present day. The Ypres Museum interweaves its cultural heritage with the small and large worlds of yesterday, today and tomorrow. It gives meaning to the past and present. As a socially engaged “house”, the Ypres Museum brings people of all kinds together and allows them to experience emotions. The Ypres Museum gives, asks, shares and invites.

VISion

The Ypres Museum has a dream that is at once an ambition, a conviction and a verb: to interweave.

The museum weaves together the past and present into a colourful patchwork of topics. It is the first and only museum to tell the story of the Westhoek region and Ypres, a fortified town that was one of the most important cities in Europe during the Middle Ages and which has shown remarkable resilience after every crisis. The location of the Yper Museum, the Cloth Hall, symbolises this. As does the mascot of the city of Ypres: the cat. The Yper Museum enriches the perspective of city and region residents and its visitors by revealing unseen historical connections and new links.

The Ypres Museum is a two-way museum: it sheds light on current events from a historical perspective, revealing unexpected connections. In this way, the museum places the “small” border region of the Westhoek in the context of “big” European history. On the other hand, the Ypres Museum brings the past up to date by giving customs and traditions from the Westhoek a contemporary meaning. It does this together with the heritage communities involved and with contemporary artists. Giving meaning and experiencing emotions go hand in hand in the museum.

The Yper Museum wants to do good. It does this by sharing inspiration, stories big and small, context, pride, humour, and a sense of accessibility for everyone, whether they are museum visitors or not. It also does this by asking for input, inspiration, needs, stories, collection pieces, and more. The Yper Museum sees itself, its collection and its entire operation as a means of creating inspiring encounters: with generations from the very young to the very old; with local and city residents, (former) Westhoekers and other visitors; with “sectors” (education, care, welfare...) and with other heritage players. The equality of all visitors is paramount. To this end, the Yper Museum is building networks of partners on various scales, from local to international, which in turn create new forms of interconnection. The museum also interweaves the various forms of heritage: movable, intangible, built, landscape, archaeological, digital, etc.

In short, the Ypres Museum is working on a fabric, together with everyone involved in the city and region. It opens up its entire operation to anyone who wants to contribute their ideas and help weave the fabric. The Yper Museum is therefore eager to step outside its walls. Those who weave and interweave forge new connections and are not afraid to be contrary. The museum is also keen to show how it works, so to speak: the back of the fabric.

With this ambition, the Ypres Museum aims to be not only a visible and central heritage player in ten years' time, but also a visible, important and connecting community player. In a region, the Westhoek, that is in need of renewal. That is our dream.